After His World Stopped
by Raven Ki-Lin
Summary: Cain and DG come to terms with their new lives after the eclipse. A/N: I didn’t realize that the length of chapters would be a problem so I am reposting using more bite-size pieces. Nothing new except the format and this note.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** After His World Stopped  
**Characters/Pairings:** DG/Cain, rest of the cast, O/Cs  
**Rating:** NC-17  
**Warnings/Spoilers:** Adult content. Smut  
**Summary:** Cain and DG come to terms with their new lives after the eclipse. **A/N: **Thanks for the reviews I have received. This was my first time posting in . I didn't realize that the length of chapters would be a problem so I am reposting using more bite-size pieces. Nothing new except the format and this note.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own anything, anyone or anyplace.

**Chapter 1**

His world stopped.

Cain wondered how long he had been staring. No, it was okay. Glitch and Raw were just standing back up from dumping the Longcoat's body on the other side of the room. It had just been a few seconds … not the eternity his brain had registered. He started talking. He had no idea what he was saying.

"Do you think Zero is going to wait?"

DG's question made him stop. Right! They were here for a reason. Finally his sluggish brain slammed into gear. He was thinking again. DG had to get the information. Cain had to get them all out of Central City.

DG and the Mystic Man were talking about her blue eyes.

"But your mother had lavender," the Mystic Man pronounced.

Cain's heart flipped over. He stared at Glitch. The Zipperhead's startled expression must have mirrored his own. How the hell did he get himself into this situation?

*************

Cain was silent as he drove Demilo's truck north. DG had changed her clothes the first time they had stopped the wagon-like vehicle. She was now sitting quietly beside him, in her Othersider clothes, looking out the window. Sluggishly his mind began to go over what had happened back in the Mystic Man's room.

He gave DG a quick sideways glance. She was beautiful. She was a princess. And she was _not_ a kid. That dress had left no doubt in his mind about that. He let out an angst-ridden sigh. Oh, yeah, he was going to be calling her 'kiddo' all the time – just to keep everything straight in his own mind.

*************

He spun to attack the people who had struck Glitch only to find himself staring at Raw and DG. She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. He forced down his feeling of joy at finding her. Zero had said Adora was alive. It took all of his will power, but his arms stayed down at his side. He ordered his mind to remember he had a wife and this girl was only a traveling companion he had known a few short days. He ignored the twinge he felt as he saw the uncertainty in her eyes, the way she refused to look at his face as she backed away from him.

*************

Jeb and Adora were alive! Ralph and Lorraine had seen them just a few months earlier. The sight of the white elm made his heart race. It seemed like it was beating for the first time since he had been released from the suit. He was running across the meadow like a school boy. Suddenly everything stopped … including his heart. The sight of the iron suit literally made him stop breathing. The idea of his son being forced into one of those things made him go cold all over. He forced himself to do the hardest thing he had ever done in his life. He opened the suit. No one – it was empty. He began to feel better. He turned.

Then he saw the grave.

He had no idea how long he had been kneeling there. Not long he thought. He felt someone's gentle touch. He knew it was DG without looking around. He could feel her concern fall over him like a warm blanket. He said goodbye to the wife he had been mourning for so many years, stood up and walked away.

Later, he knew he had been rude to Raw when the viewer tried to tell him Jeb was still alive. But he never wanted to feel anything again. Certainly not hope. He just wanted this adventure over so he could go back into his shell. He needed to decide how he was going to be able to go on breathing – he was sure he was done living.

*************

The net dropped. DG was lost. The ice that had been surrounding his heart burst into flame as he called out to her. Suddenly he realized that the girl had brought a permanent change into his life. He wasn't sure what it was she had done to him but he knew he would never be the same.

*************

How many more shocks could he take before he was completely undone? Jeb. Alive. Rescuing him from the Longcoats. The leader of a resistance cell. Cain was so proud. But how in Ozma's Name was he going to establish a relationship with this hardened combatant that his little boy had become?

They had not seen eye-to-eye over how to deal with Zero. But Jeb and his people had hurriedly volunteered to help finish the witch. He had only questioned Cain's determination to go in search of DG.

He and Jeb said goodbye before going their separate ways. Each understood they had to complete their portion of the upcoming mission if the enterprise was going to be successful. He hoped he and his son would get another chance to talk about all the things they hadn't discussed during the only night they had spent together in over eight years.

*************

He stared at the hand DG extended to tell him goodbye. He was not going to miss another chance to start letting her know what she meant to him. He grabbed her and hugged her close for a long moment. Then, with a jerk of his head, he let her lead the way back to the others, to start the attack on the tower. He knew, full well, that if anything happened to her before the day was out he might as well be locked back in that iron suit.

*************

The royal family turned from the sun drenched O.Z. to see DG's friends as they stood in a row. Ahamo came forward and extended his hand to Cain. Seeing the damage to Cain's right shoulder, he lowered his hand with a grin and a nod. Even though Raw had healed the gunshot, Ahamo knew it would still be stiff for a while.

"You were with DG in the Realm," Ahamo stated, referring to the Realm of the Unwanted where the quartet had come looking for him.

Cain's left hand moved to his hat. He removed it as a gesture of respect. He bowed his head as Lavender came to stand beside her husband.

"DG, will you introduce your companions?" the Queen asked.

"Well, you know Glitch," DG started.

Glitch made a deep court bow.

"Ambrose, it is good to see you again," Lavender took both of his hands in hers. "I honestly never …" There was a breathy little sigh, then she smiled. "I am so glad you survived."

"Raw," DG motioned her hand to the viewer who also bowed.

"I am sure you have been a great help to our daughter," Lavender committed before turning her eyes towards Cain.

"Have we met?" she asked.

"No, Your Majesty, but I was with the Mystic Man's Protection Detail during some of his visits to the Central City Palace. Wyatt Cain."

"Of course, that's why you look familiar. Thank you for your help, Mr. Cain." She turned to her daughters. She held out a hand to Azkadellia. "You need to issue commands to any Longcoats left in the tower to surrender immediately to the Resistance Fighters." She looked at DG. "I assume you know someone with the resistance we can put in charge of the prisoners until there is time to sort everything out."

"My son is the leader of the resistance cell that attacked the tower," Cain spoke up. "I'll bring him here for you." He gave a brief nod of his head and left.

As DG watched him go she pulled gently on her lower lip with her teeth.

"When I carried you away from your friends," Ahamo said, "it was his name you were calling."

DG turned wide blue eyes thoughtfully to her father. "He's the reason I made it through the O.Z. and back to the tower in time."

"A Tin Man?" Lavender questioned.

"A good, brave man," DG replied.

*************

Raw had gone with Glitch to release the viewers being held in the prison cells. When Jeb arrived, he had been put in charge by the Queen. He immediately sent his people into the cells to sort out Resistance Fighters from any actual criminals. Once the cells were cleaned out, he stuffed Longcoats into the emptied chambers. There were way too many people in each cell, but no one seemed overly upset that the sorceress' people might be uncomfortable for a day or two.

Late in the evening, Jeb joined the royals, his father, Glitch and Raw in a large hall that had been turned into a temporary mess. As he approached the group, his second-in-command, Lucas McCalhan, arrived at his side.

"Wounded?" Jeb asked.

"The released viewers are helping our healers. Everyone's taking shifts getting a good meal since they haven't eaten hot food for two days."

Jeb nodded. "I'd like to rest with my father for a few minutes," he said dropping into a chair beside Cain. "I'll make the rounds as soon as I've had something."

McCalhan saluted and walked away. Cain smiled at his son.

"You did a great job today. Your mother would've been very proud of you," he said softly.

Jeb colored slightly as he ducked his head in acknowledgement of his father's praise. The idea of getting him a big brimmed hat flashed through DG's mind. She smiled to herself.

It was decided that Jeb's people would secure the tower for the night while everyone around the table would try to get some rest.

"We will make plans tomorrow," Lavender stated as she rose from the table, "about how to notify the O.Z. of the demise of the witch and the restoration of the Throne. Come girls."

DG looked back at her friends as her parents led her away.

*************

Wyatt Cain lay on his bed in the room given to him in the witch's tower. His mind had been going over his life since he first heard someone knocking on the outside of his iron suit. Had so much truly happened in just a few days? After years in stasis with only his eyes and mind active, being forced to watch that projection over and over, he was having trouble digesting all of the activity that had occurred between the suit and the eclipse yesterday.

He had slept for several hours from sheer exhaustion. But long before the two suns had started to rise, he had awakened. He lay staring at the ceiling as light pushed the shadows away. His mind replayed various scenes from the past week. He sighed. He had gone from feeling completely numb to such an onslaught of emotions that he couldn't sort through them all. He wondered if this was how Glitch's mind worked; if too many thoughts were what caused him to hang-up periodically.

Just as the first full rays of the suns flooded through his window, he heard a soft knock on his door.

"Come in."

The door opened and Jeb stepped inside the room. "I wasn't sure if you'd be awake yet," he stated.

Cain set up. "Yeah. For a while now. Too much going through my head, I guess."

Jeb nodded as he sat down on a chair in front of the small desk. The two men looked at each other.

"I …"

"Well …"

They both chuckled and Cain waved his hand at his son.

"I'm still a bit shocked about you being alive after all this time," Jeb admitted. He hung his head. "And I still feel bad that I never …"

"No!" Cain's voice caused the younger man to look up into his father's eyes. "Don't you ever regret what took place. You thought I was dead. I was behind enemy lines. You had no way of knowing what had happened."

The younger man swallowed hard before he gave a quick nod of his head. Cain's eyes softened when he smiled at his son.

"Good. There's been way too much guilt and too many regrets. I've been laying here trying to decide how to start getting rid of some of them and moving on."

Cain reached for his pants and shirt as he rose from the bed.

"How about finding some food to start with?" Jeb suggested as he stood up.

"Sounds good. Then I need to find Raw and Glitch."

Jeb glanced sideways at his father. "And the princess?"

Cain's hands froze as he was buttoning his shirt. Jeb gave his father a pat on his shoulder.

"Speaking of moving on, I think there are a couple of things you and I need to talk about."

*************

When they entered the mess hall, Cain could see DG sitting at a table in the front of the room with her family. He felt his heart constrict as he looked at her.

"Go on and sit with DG if you want to," Jeb said.

Cain shook his head. He saw Glitch and Raw sitting at the table with the royals but couldn't bring himself to go up there. He indicated a couple of empty seats with his head. Jeb nodded and they sat down. Suddenly, eating seemed to require a great deal of effort. After a while he noticed Jeb staring at him.

"Father, we need to talk."

Cain nodded. "Are you finished with first meal?"

"Yeah. Let's go for a walk."

The two men walked away from the tower, up the hill, into the line of trees. They finally sat down on a fallen log. They sat just staring back at the tower in silence. Jeb studied his father. Cain looked up and saw Jeb's scrutiny.

"What?" he asked.

Jeb looked down at his feet. He knew he had information he had to tell his father but he honestly didn't know how to begin. He took a deep breath, looked back at Cain and decided to avoid it for the time being.

"I was in the iron suit for about a week … maybe two … we figured," he started instead. "I was locked in there while they killed mother. Then they left that damn holographic loop for me to watch. When some members of the Resistance found me, I wondered for a while if I would ever be sane again." He took a deep sigh. "I swear I don't know why you aren't crazy."

Cain took a deep breath staring out at the tower for a long time. Jeb began to think his father would not answer. He had just opened his mouth to say something when he heard Cain speak very softly.

"Once you've been in the suit for a while … a year or two, I guess … something happens. You see things. You recognize the imagines. You kind of remember what you felt when it happened originally. But somehow, you aren't connected to it any more. You could almost be watching strangers. For me, I thought you and your mother were dead. Once the … agony … the horror … of what I'd seen all day, every day … I guess you could say I started to grieve. I actually began to look forward to the night. Without the sunlight, the projector didn't work. I began to like the nothingness."

He looked at Jeb. The young man had tears running down his cheeks.

"Why aren't you crazy?" Jeb whispered.

A sad smile played at the corners of Cain's mouth. "DG … I think."

Jeb nodded. He looked away as he wiped his cheeks. When he looked back at his father, he knew he had to tell Cain the rest.

"We went to that cabin because we were meeting someone in the resistance. We'd run across him several times in the previous two years." He looked at his father a long moment before adding softly, "He and Mother were going to get married."

"What happened to him?"

"He was there – dead – when we got there. Zero was waiting for us."

There was a long pause.

"Was he good to Adora?"

"Yeah. He was a good man."

A shorter pause.

"I'm glad. I hope she was happy for a while."

Jeb nodded but didn't speak.

They sat for a long time. They watched the activity below as the Northern Woods Guild sent out couriers. They knew from the one meeting held the previous night that the Guild was going to try to get as many resistance cells as they could reach to come to the tower as soon as possible. When they had enough people, the plan was to take back the royal palace in Central City.

"How long do you think this will last?" Jeb asked.

Cain shook his head. "I'm not sure. At least a few cycles. If we get a break, maybe it will all be over in less than an annual."

Jeb sighed. His lips twisted.

"What?" Cain asked.

"In the stories you and Mother always told me … they all just ended. There was never any talk about the clean up afterwards."

Cain chuckled. "You should talk to DG. I think she may have been thinking something like that yesterday, based on what I could see."

"When are you going to talk to her?"

"About what?"

"Why did you say you weren't crazy?" Jeb looked hard at Cain as he stood up. "Don't screw this up. You light up when you talk about her. Let her know."

Cain swore as he rose to his feet. "She's a kid! Don't be daft."

Jeb chuckled. "I thought you were a good Tin Man."

"What's that mean?"

Still chuckling, Jeb started back along the trail towards the tower. "Obviously you haven't noticed how she looks at you," he shot back over his shoulder.

Cain stood staring after Jeb for a long time. Eventually he followed Jeb back to the tower.

*************

DG had seen Cain and Jeb enter the large chamber that had been set up to serve as a mess hall. She saw them look over to where she sat but then sit in the back of the room. She kept a smile on her face although suddenly she was no longer interested in breakfast … no, first meal. She signed. So many things she had to learn.

DG and the royal family left the mess hall with Glitch and Raw following. They all sat in a room that DG could only call a parlor, it was so formal. Yesterday they had been busy getting things under control after she and Azkadellia had managed to get rid of the witch. Now they just sat staring at each other. Then they all chuckled nervously.

"It seems so strange being together like this, after all this time," Queen Lavender stated. She smiled at her daughters. "We have much to do."

"Yes," Ahamo agreed. "We need to get information out to the people immediately."

Lavender nodded slowly. "We must try to locate any Ministers and official advisors that have survived."

"And Glitch. What about Glitch?" DG asked. "Can we put his brain back?"

Azkadellia looked uncomfortable. Lavender shook her head slowly.

"Raw can help," the viewer stated. "Can connect the two. Glitch can learn from Ambrose."

Glitch smiled. "That would be wonderful! That would be wonderful! That would be wonderful!"

DG tapped his forearm to stop his glitching.

"We must get the Palace Guards reorganized immediately." Ahamo continued. "I think Jeb Cain would be a good choice. He was very efficient yesterday."

Lavender nodded. "Then he shall become Commander of our Palace Guard for now."

"I've sent out messages to all of the Longcoat garrisons telling them they are to surrender to the resistance cells closest to their location," Azkadellia informed them.

The Queen nodded. "Yes, perhaps we can get the majority of them under control that way."

"You don't think they will all surrender?" Az questioned.

"I'm sure they won't," Ahamo stated.

"We will be fighting another guerrilla war," Lavender assured her, "only this time we are going to be the government and the former Longcoats will be the rebels."

They were all silent for a few moments. Then Ahamo stood up. He walked over to his daughters.

"I will get each of you body guards. We will not be able to stay shut away but I want each of you as safe as possible."

"I don't want some stranger," DG insisted. "I'll only have a body guard if it's Cain."

Ahamo raised his eyebrow. Lavender nodded her head. "Your father and I will discuss it. But there is a more immediate problem we must solve." She turned to Glitch. "I assume we have access to a T.D.E.S.P.H.T.L. We need to create projections that we can send all over the O.Z. That way we can let the people know that the witch is dead, that Azkadellia is free and that DG has returned home."

"Yes, of course," he looked puzzled. "But what are we going to record? What are we going to record? What are we going to record?"

*************

Jeb and Cain stood inside the temporary Palace Guard office discussing strategy with McCalhan. A messenger snapped to attention as he approached the three men. He handed one envelope to Cain and an identical one to Jeb. The two men looked at the departing messenger before opening the envelopes.

"The Queen wants to see me," Jeb stated.

"I've got Ahamo," Cain told him.

They quickly finished their work and headed to answer their summonses.

*************

"Mr. Cain, DG has told us how you helped her find the emerald so she could save the O.Z.," Ahamo started once he and Cain were seated in a comfortable office.

Cain gave a slight shrug. "Did she also tell you how she saved me? I owe her my life."

"No, she just mentioned that she met you along the way."

Cain quickly told Ahamo how DG had charged at the holographic projection thinking his family was in danger, how she had released him from the iron suit and how she had helped him realize that he could continue to live after everything that had happened.

Ahamo looked surprised. "I … I had no idea. I was extremely impressed with her when she went to get the emerald but …" He paused a moment then looked Cain straight in the eye. "You've been through a great deal. I don't know what you plan to do now. But DG needs a body guard. She says that you are the only man she will consider."

Cain cocked his head slightly, never breaking eye contact. The two men stared at each other intently.

"The Queen and I have decided that if you'd like to stay on at the palace, we would be pleased to offer you the post of DG's primary body guard. In fact, we'd like you to be in charge of security for the entire family."

Cain took a deep breath. "I am honored. However, I think it's only proper to tell you that DG and I have developed a deep friendship during our trek across the Zone. I don't want to presume … I don't even know what DG may … we haven't really …" He stopped, looking uncomfortable. At Ahamo's questioning glance Cain added, "If we stay together, I honestly don't know where our friendship may lead."

"The Queen and I have discussed that possibility. While we are concerned, we're also aware that DG was raised very differently than she would've been had she remained in the O.Z. You'd probably be shocked to know just how much freedom young women are allowed on the Otherside. I'm sure she's capable of making her own decision in this regard."

Cain looked uneasy. "I am so much older than she is," he muttered almost to himself.

"I don't think you can count the years you were in stasis," Ahamo stated softly.

Cain's head jerked up to look into the Consort's eyes again; embarrassed he had spoken out loud. Ahamo smiled softly.

"Do not misunderstand," Ahamo continued sternly, "we would not condone anything improper between you and our daughter. Having said that: we trust DG's judgment; we trust your integrity as a Tin Man. We believe you two will be able to work out whether this … appointment … will be to your advantages. I should tell you, as you and I talk, my wife is offering your son command of the Palace Guard. I believe the Queen is considering the rank of Colonel for you. Perhaps that will help you make your choice." He stood up and extended his hand. "Think about it."

Cain shook the proffered hand. "I'll let you know as soon as I've made a decision."

*************

Jeb and Cain met in the hallway leading to the main entrance. Cain beamed.

"Commander of the Palace Guard!" He pulled Jeb into a hug. "I'm so proud of you."

"You think I should take it?"

"Of course. Don't you want it?"

"I'm just not sure if I can adjust to formal troops after being a rebel."

"I think you'd be wonderful at it. But you have to make the decision for yourself."

"What about you?"

Cain hesitated and then said rather quickly, "I've been offered the job of DG's body guard."

Jeb stopped walking. When Cain turned back to Jeb he saw his son staring at him open-mouthed.

"Do they … are you … should she … "

Jeb quit stammering and blushed.

"Do they know that they may need a body guard to keep the body guard in line?" Cain asked.

"Well … yeah."

Cain chuckled. "I think I was just told that'd be okay with the royal couple."

"No, shit!" Jeb exclaimed.

Cain cocked an eyebrow. "Language," he admonished, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Try not to get yourself court-martialed on your first day."

"So we're both staying with the royals?" Jeb questioned.

"I need to talk to DG first. But, yeah, I think I'm staying."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** After His World Stopped  
**Characters/Pairings:** DG/Cain, rest of the cast, O/Cs  
**Rating:** NC-17  
**Warnings/Spoilers:** Adult content. Smut  
**Summary:** Cain and DG come to terms with their new lives after the eclipse. **A/N: **Thanks for the reviews I have received. This was my first time posting in . I didn't realize that the length of chapters would be a problem so I am reposting using more bite-size pieces. Nothing new except the format and this note.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own anything, anyone or anyplace.

**Chapter 2**

It was late afternoon before Cain finally found DG standing on the balcony where they had all watched the end of the eclipse the day before. She looked over her shoulder as she heard his approach then turned back to the view. She stood with her hands leaning on the railing, watching the activity of the troops on the ground in front of the tower.

"DG, we need to talk," he told her.

She turned to look up at him. He had seen the same uncertainty in her eyes before – the time he had not returned her hug when he and Glitch had attempted to rescue Raw and her from the tower prison.

"You don't want the job," she said flatly, the light going out of her eyes.

His mouth twisted slightly. "I never said that."

She looked a little less apprehensive. "Is there a problem?"

"I don't know if I'd call it a problem. But there are a few things I'd like to discuss first."

She continued to look at him in an appraising manner. "Okay, what?"

"Look, Kiddo, I …"

"First thing," she snapped, her eyes turning a darker blue, "I am _not_ a kid."

He smiled. "Actually, that was just what I was going to tell you. You aren't a kid but … DG, I don't want to misinterpret anything. And I sure as hell don't want to push you into something you aren't interested in. I can stay and just be your body guard if that's what you want. But …"

He stopped to look out at the scene before them. He shook his head slightly, unable to continue, leaning heavily on the hands he placed on the railing.

"Ahamo told me that you think you might be too old," she said gently. "I assume you don't think you're too old to be my body guard."

He turned to look at her. She had turned so they were standing face-to-face, inches apart.

"I meant what I said before the eclipse," he told her. "As far as I'm concerned, that is going to be the _only_ time I won't be there to help you."

Her mouth formed a gentle smile. "Then just what do you think you're too old for?" she asked.

Slowly he took hold of her hand. When she didn't move away, he put his other hand around her waist and pulled her across the few inches that separated them. He stared deeply into her eyes. Her smile deepened. Her hands had come up to lie lightly on his chest. Slowly she slid her arms up his chest until they were around his neck.

He pulled her against his chest. One hand tilted her head so his lips could find hers. As her lips parted, he secured her even closer against his body. His tongue slipped into her mouth. She pressed against him as tightly as she could, moaning deep in her throat.

"I take it you're accepting the position of body guard," a voice spoke behind them.

DG and Cain released each other quickly as they jumped apart.

"Glitch!" they both yelled.

The former advisor laughed lightly. "If you want privacy, you really should shut the door."

"I'll remember that next time," Cain informed him.

"Then there will be a next time?" DG asked gently.

"I'll tell your father tomorrow," Cain assured her.

*************

The primary mission the Queen set for herself was to reestablish her government. She and Ahamo were determined to have firm control over the O.Z. as quickly as possible. The first step was making sure the royal family was safe. Therefore, Ahamo was very pleased when Cain asked to see him the next afternoon.

"I've decided to accept your offer," Cain told the Consort as soon as they were settled in Ahamo's office.

"I'm glad," the Consort told the Tin Man with a smile, "Colonel Cain."

Cain gave a half nod in acknowledgement of the title.

"I'm afraid the Queen is about to make your task a bit more difficult."

"May I ask how?"

"We're going to send T.D.E.S.P.H.T.L.'s all over the Zone showing how the witch was defeated. I'm expecting a backlash and possible hostilities when they're viewed."

"Where are you getting the data? Did the witch have a projection recorder set up on the balcony?"

Ahamo frowned slightly, "No, we weren't that fortunate."

"Then …?"

"The Queen's decided to have a viewer show DG's memories of what happened on the balcony."

Cain surged to his feet. "She what?"

Ahamo lifted an eyebrow as he stood up slowly. Cain looked flustered.

"Does she know how … stressful that is on the person being read?" Cain managed a controlled tone despite his agitation.

"Yes, we discussed it very carefully. DG understands it's her duty to show our subjects that Azkadellia was as much a victim as everyone else has been."

"I'd like to be with her while it's happening."

"They're doing it right now. I'm sure she'll appreciate your support if you'd care to join them. They're in the room where we watched the end of the eclipse yesterday."

Cain hurried to the doorway of the room. He took a deep, calming breath before he quietly slipped inside.

DG was sitting on a chair in the center of the room. A large mirror stood close to her. Between the mirror and the princess stood a viewer Cain did not recognize. The T.D.E.S.P.H.T.L. was set up in front of the pair.

Cain clinched his teeth tightly as he saw DG pulling herself back onto the balcony as her memories played out in the mirror. He stared as she reached out her hand to save Azkadellia. He observed the two princesses as they stood against the witch. He watched in horror as he realized how close he had come to being too late shutting down the power source. As the two sisters hugged each other in the vision, DG whimpered.

"That's got to be enough," Cain stated.

"I believe you are right," Lavender agreed.

The viewer removed his hand from DG's arm and slumped to the floor beside the mirror. Another viewer Cain didn't know hurried to help the viewer who had been doing the reading from the room.

Lavender patted DG's cheek. "That was very good, my angel. I'm proud of you." She turned to Glitch. "Ambrose, please bring that," she motioned to the projector. "We shall see about getting it distributed."

Cain watched in amazement as Lavender swept out of the room leaving DG like a dismissed servant. His jaw was so tight, he was grinding his teeth as he moved over to DG's side.

"You okay, Kiddo?" he asked.

Instead of the expected denial of being a kid, she turned to look at him. Exhaustion and a strange sadness were reflected in her blue orbs.

"I knew it would be hard but …" She lowered her eyes, shaking her head. "It reminded me of Lylo."

Although he did not recognize the name, he decided now was not the time to press her for more information.

"Let's get you back to your room so you can rest a little bit," he said.

She smiled at him as she rose to her feet. She swayed slightly. Standing on her left side, his left hand took hold of her left upper arm and he put his right arm around her shoulders. She whimpered and flinched away from him.

"What's wrong?" he demanded.

She tried to move away from him. Her shaky legs would only take her a step before she reached out a hand to Cain to steady herself.

"What's wrong with your shoulders?" he asked.

She made a dismissive face. "Just a little sore."

"DG, take that jacket off," he ordered.

"Can I just go back to my room?"

She sounded so tired but he knew that there was something seriously wrong. His look informed her that neither one of them was moving until he was satisfied. She started to shrug off her jacket. He took hold of it and began peeling it from her shoulders.

"Careful," she hissed.

He gasped when the jacket fell away and he could see the part of her shoulders not covered by her sleeveless top.

"What the hell happened?" he demanded as he moved in front of her.

"You saw. I was knocked off the balcony. When I was hanging, trying to pull myself back up, I must have pulled some muscles."

"In Ozma's Name! Some? It looks like you pulled every muscle in your upper body! Your shoulders are all bruised. Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"You mean beside the splitting headache from being scanned by the viewer and you standing there yelling at me?" Her eyes flashed.

"Yes," he said more quietly, "What else?"

She sighed. "I hit the back of my legs when I went over the railing. I have some bruises back there."

"And your mother didn't … she saw what happened and didn't have anyone look at …"

She saw the anger in his eyes turn tender as he focused on her again.

"Cain, can you just help me back to my room?"

He carefully put his arm around her waist so she could lean on him as he walked her to the rooms she was using in the tower. He opened the door for her.

"Get out of those clothes, get into something loose and comfortable. I'm going to get Raw. I'll be back in a few minutes," he informed her.

She only nodded as she shut the door. Her quiet acceptance of his suggestion worried him more than he wanted to admit as he practically ran through the tower looking for Raw.

*************

Raw healed DG's calves in the first few minutes.

"Raw cannot heal all damage to shoulders now," Raw told DG. "Hurt DG too much. Raw make better now. Do more later."

Cain paced the room as Raw laid hands on DG's shoulders. He knew that while the healing meant everything was repaired almost instantly, he also knew that it was a painful process. Although DG did her best to not make any noise, periodically a small whimper would escape her lips. Every time this happened, Cain growled and stopped pacing a moment before resuming his marching around the room.

"Raw do better if Cain relax," the viewer finally snapped. "Too many strong emotions makes healing hard."

DG chuckled. Cain glowered at both of them.

"Come sit beside me," she suggested. "It'll be easier on Raw if he doesn't have to deal with your emotions rolling around the room."

Raw nodded. "Raw do little more now."

"Okay," DG agreed.

She smiled at Cain as he sat on the edge of the bed. He took hold of her hand. Her fingers clutched Cain's hand as Raw laid hands on her shoulders for a few more moments. Finally the viewer let out a deep breath and removed his hands. With one index finger, he wiped a tear that hung at the corner of DG's eye. She smiled at him.

"DG brave. Much damage was done. Raw knows it hurt DG."

"Yes, but it would ache for weeks without you. Thank you. I know you've been working so hard on the wounded."

"Always help DG." He patted Cain's hand that still held DG's. "Cain help, too."

"Thanks, Raw," Cain said softly. With his free hand, he stroked DG's cheek. "Why did you agree to do the viewing before you let Raw heal you?" he asked.

DG's blue eyes seemed to cloud a bit. She swallowed. "My … mother …" DG stopped as if she had a bad taste in her mouth. "Lavender told me doing the viewing was more important than any minor injuries I might have."

"Minor? Did she see your back?"

DG shrugged. "No. She was busy trying to get the equipment set up to record the projection."

He sighed. "Did you tell her you didn't feel like it?"

The blue eyes widened, trying to look calm. "They kept telling me how Az' life was in danger until we got this information out. I didn't want to think something else might happen to my sister because I wasn't willing to do whatever I could to help her."

Something in Cain's eyes made DG uneasy. She saw Cain and Raw exchange a strange look.

"What?" she asked. "Don't you think this will make sure Az is safe?"

Cain took a moment too long to answer. "Yeah, I'm sure she'll be …"

DG's scrutiny of his face made him falter.

"Should always tell each other truth," Raw stated flatly.

DG and Cain stared at each other a long moment. He sighed. She saw something like sympathy in his eyes.

"It might help a bit," he told her. "But most people will probably think it's a magic stunt of some kind."

He looked away.

"Cain?"

Slowly he turned back. His eyes were cloudy. He looked at Raw who nodded.

"It's … possible," Cain said tentatively, "the projection could be used by someone wanting revenge. It might …"

"What?" she asked when he stopped again. He squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"I'm afraid someone will use the projection to make Az the focus of retaliation."

DG's eyes filled with tears that she blinked away quickly. "So this is just going to make it worse?"

Anger flashed in Cain's eyes but it was gone when he looked at her. "Not worse. I just don't know if it's going to help enough to justify having put you through this. Why don't you get some rest? I'll bring some food up later. We can have final meal in your rooms, okay?"

She nodded. She was asleep before he and Raw made it out the door.

*************

The four royals sat in what Lavender called her family chamber, another parlor that was close to her personal suite and more casual than the parlor on the lower level. They were discussing the re-establishment of the Court. DG listened as Lavender and Azkadellia were talking about courtiers, balls, gowns and protocol.

"Are you two serious?" DG finally asked.

"What do you mean?" Lavender asked.

"Balls? Gowns? Do you have any idea what's going on out there?" DG waved toward the balcony doors. "This isn't a Disney movie with a happily ever after. The people have been fighting for their lives … literally. They're living in tents in refugee camps. Some of them barely have enough to eat. They are shockingly short of medical attention. There's no education for the children. You can't seriously be worried about finding material for a new dress!"

"DG, you will remember you are talking to your mother," Lavender sounded indignant.

Ahamo took one of Lavender's hands in his. "I'm afraid DG is right. Your return to the throne will not be a return to the court life we had before. Not for a long time. All of the nobility is either in the resistance, dead or fled beyond the Waste Lands. Most of their estates are destroyed … not simply given to others. The manor houses are gone, the fields are poisoned, the workers have left."

Lavender looked at him for a long moment. "Then … what are we to do? Without the aristocracy how will we maintain order?"

"We'll establish a court," he assured her. "But it will have to be very informal … very simple."

"And our courtiers?" the Queen asked.

"Instead of nobles at the court, why not ask for representatives from the Guilds?" DG suggested. "They can help you learn about what's happening in the Zone."

"A democracy?" Azkadellia asked aghast.

"Perhaps some form of representative government," Ahamo inserted.

Lavender looked stern. "Perhaps we could consider an advisory council or something like that."

DG nodded. "You really need to hear what the conditions are out there. They're still bad."

"We will make them better," Azkadellia stated.

Lavender nodded. "You don't understand, DG. Royalty does not listen to the people. The people learn from Royalty."

"I understand that when Royalty didn't understand the temperament of the people in the United States, we threw their asses out and set up a new government."

"Your language!"

"I'm sorry, but you've been locked away for years and …"

"Annuals," Lavender corrected.

"… Whatever! I'm just trying to tell you that you need to make sure you don't get all stuffy and alienate all these people who have been fighting and dying. They weren't fighting to save you. They were just fighting to get rid of the witch."

"You do not understand the history or the culture of your home," Lavender said firmly. "The House of Gale will be restored. We will rule our country. And you will be expected to do your duty as your father and I direct you to."

*************

Raw and Glitch were spending as much time as possible in the brain room. After every session of Raw bridging between Glitch and Ambrose, Glitch was able to focus better on what he was doing. He realized he was only glitching when he became overly excited or confused.

Raw and Glitch wanted to stay several more days but Lavender was insisting they leave for Central City as soon as possible. The brain was going to be transported. No one was sure how well it would travel or what kind of damage might be done during the trip.

They were discussing the scheduled departure at final meal five days after the eclipse when DG suddenly slammed down her glass.

"We can't leave until Glitch is well," she insisted. "He gave up everything to try to save the machine from the witch. We'll be monsters if we didn't give him the chance to get as much of himself back as possible."

She threw her napkin on the table and ran from the room. Lavender turned to regard Cain with a questioning look. The corner of Cain's mouth twitched with irritation.

"I don't think she's sleeping well. She won't tell me what's wrong." He wiped his mouth and laid his napkin beside his plate. "I'll see if I can talk to her."

Lavender gave him a nod of her head and he rose from the table.

"Colonel Cain?" Az' voice stopped him.

"Yes, Princess?"

"I'd like to talk to you."

He came back to the table. She glanced at her mother.

"Alone," she stated.

"If you can help Colonel Cain, please go with him, Azkadellia," Lavender told her.

Cain held the princess' chair. Az stood up and took his arm as he escorted her from the room. They went up to the area of the tower where the family had their rooms. Az opened the door of her suite and entered, followed by Cain. She shut the door once he was in the sitting room.

"Please sit down," she indicated a chair and sat in one across from his. "This is not easy but I think you should know."

"Okay. What is it?"

"You said you thought DG might be having trouble sleeping."

"Yes, I do. Do you think it has something to do with when you two stood against the witch or maybe something from when you were children? I know some of her memories cause her a lot of guilt."

"After the eclipse, when we hugged each other," Az told him, "it seemed as if a peace settled over us. I think we were both able to forgive ourselves for the mistakes we made as children. I think we were granted a serenity that allowed us to understand that while the mistakes were ours, the responsibility for the next 15 annuals rested with adults that could have made different decisions."

Cain nodded, realizing this was as close as Azkadellia would ever come to blaming her parents for how they handled their daughters' exposure to the Dark Magic of the witch.

"Then do you have some other idea about what the trouble might be?"

"Did she tell you that I …" She stopped and shuddered.

Cain reached across to touch her hand.

"What did the witch make you do?" he asked softly.

She regarded him with a gentle smile. A single tear slid out of the corner of one eye and ran down her cheek.

"I shut her in the green marble sarcophagus in the Gale mausoleum."

Cain exhaled, drawing back and rolling his eyes up to the ceiling. Az seemed to shrink smaller into herself. He immediately stood up so he could pat her shoulder. She looked up at him as a second tear shook loose.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "I'll try to help DG." He paused. "And who's helping you?" he asked tenderly.

She gave him a shaky smile. "Glitch."

He smiled at her and nodded. "He's a good man. Good night, Princess."

Cain closed the door of Az' suite behind him and leaned against the door, closing his eyes. He was still standing like that when he heard someone approach. He opened his eyes. As Glitch and Raw came down the hall, Cain stood up straight. He jerked his chin in greeting.

"Are you going to stay with Az?" Cain asked Glitch.

"Yes."

Cain nodded. "I think she'll need you tonight."

Glitch nodded in understanding and went to tap on Az' door.

"Raw, let's go see if we can settle down the young princess."

As they walked down the hall, Cain explained that he thought DG was not sleeping because she was having nightmares.

"Can you try to pick up anything she's anxious about?" Cain asked.

"Raw can try. But will not betray DG."

"I'd never ask you to do that. If she's afraid to sleep, I think I can help her. But I don't want to push myself at her too hard if that isn't the problem."

Raw nodded. "Raw understand. Will help."

They had reached DG's doorway and Cain knocked. After a moment, the door opened to reveal DG standing in front of them.

"Did the Queen send you to tell me how inappropriate my behavior was?" she asked glumly.

"Your mother asked me to see if you were okay," he informed her as he and Raw walked into the suite.

They set down in chairs on either side of the fireplace in her sitting room.

"Make yourselves at home," she committed dryly as she settled on her couch.

"DG tired," Raw stated. "Not sleep well."

"Tell me something I don't know," she responded.

"DG mad at Cain," he answered.

"Why?" Cain demanded.

"Raw!" she yelled at the same time.

"Raw leave now," he stated as he hastily exited the room.

Cain looked over at DG. "Are you mad at me?" he asked as soon as the door shut behind Raw.

"No," she answered unconvincingly.

He stared at her, not speaking.

"Not exactly mad," she said finally.

"Then what?"

"I was … I'm … Cain!"

Too embarrassed to continue, she jumped up and hurried out to the small balcony. A moment later, Cain followed her. He gently laid his hands on her shoulders.

"DG, I can't know what's wrong if you won't talk to me."

She turned around. His hands dropped to his side. She took his hands in hers.

"I'm confused because …" Her voice trailed off.

He gave her hands a gentle squeeze to encourage her. She dropped her eyes.

"Why haven't you tried to kiss me again?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"DG," he exclaimed softly.

He pulled on her hands causing her to come closer. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. He held her with one arm around her back. He caressed her hair with his other hand.

"I just don't want to rush you," he told her. "And besides, the closest we've come to being alone was when Raw was healing your shoulders."

"We're alone right now."

With a smile he tilted her face towards his and kissed her deeply.

"Is that better?" he asked.

"A little brief, but it helped," she replied.

He gave a short laugh.

"I'll try to work on that in a little bit. But first … you haven't been sleeping, have you?"

There was no answer.

"DG." His tone was firm.

"I've been having …" She stopped.

"Nightmares," he finished.

She nodded.

"About being in a tight, dark space?" he questioned.

She nodded again.

"And you didn't think I'd understand that?" he asked.

He felt her breath as she let out a soft sigh.

"I just didn't want to bring up anything that would … remind you …"

He gave her a little shake. "DG, we have to be able to talk to each other … about everything. If we can't do that, how do you think we're going to make this work?"

"I've never felt about anyone the way I feel about you. And I don't have any idea how to make a relationship work." She stared up into his face. "I've never had a good one … and I never know what went wrong. I don't have any idea what I'm doing, Wyatt."

His hands came up to cup her face. He let his lips gently brush hers then pulled back and smiled at her.

"You don't have to know. You just have to trust me to know. You tell me if you're happy. You let me know when something happens that bothers you. I'll take care of the rest."

She gave him a mischievous look. "Then can I have another kiss?"

He pulled her tightly against him. He placed his hand on the back of her head and leaned her back slightly. His mouth played against hers. Then his tongue pushed against her lips. With a slight gasp she opened her mouth to his prodding. After a moment, her tongue began to move against his. His hand on her back splayed out and he pulled her even tighter. After several long moments, he raised his face from her. She drew in a deep breath. Slowly her eyes opened. She looked at him with a slightly dazed expression.

"Is that better, Darlin'?" he asked.

She gave a little laugh. "That was extremely nice."

"Will you do something for me?"

"What?"

"Say my name again."

She gave him a brilliant smile. "Wyatt," she breathed tenderly.

His next kiss lasted even longer than the previous one had.

*************

They had moved back into the sitting room, shutting the balcony door behind them. Cain lit the fireplace to take the chill off the night air that had settled in the small suite while the doors had been open.

DG pulled some pillows off the furniture so they could settle down on the rug in front of the comfortable fire. Cain sat leaning back against one of the chairs while DG lay stretched out, her head on his lap. One of his hands played lovingly with her hair. They stayed in contented silence for quite some time.

"DG?" Cain asked softly.

"Hmm?"

He looked down at her. She lay completely relaxed, her eyes closed, gently holding his free hand. He tightened his fingers slightly and she opened her eyes to look at him.

"Are you worried by how little you know about me?" he asked her.

She regarded him for a long moment. Slowly she sat up so they were looking at each other on the same level.

"Do you know how little I know about myself?" she answered.

He pulled her against him. "Yes, I do."

They sat in silence for several minutes. He felt a shiver run up her spine. He pulled her tighter so she was against his chest. Her arms slipped around his waist as she pressed her face against his chest.

"My whole life has been a lie," she said into his shirt. "I can't go back to my home … which I hated … in Kansas. My parents … who are really _robots_ for god's sake … have been rewired and I'll never see them again. My parents … who I don't know … who sent me away for 15 friggin' years … are a Queen and her Consort. I have a sister … who was possessed … by a witch that I released from her cave. And I'm stuck somewhere … I don't remember … in the middle of a civil war … and I don't even understand some of the words they use for everyday stuff!"

He kissed the top of her head. "You are Her Royal Highness DorothiGale, returned after 15 annuals to rescue her people and save her mother's kingdom."

She made a disgusted snort.

"That was a very unroyal noise," he informed her lightly. Then he continued softly, "you are the _kid_ who was willing to help a headcase escape from one of the nastiest Guilds in the O.Z., who was willing to charge a group of Longcoats with a stick to help a family she had never met, who was willing to face down a herd of angry Papay to save someone she didn't know." He took hold of her shoulders and sat her up so he could look in her eyes. "You are the incredible person who saved all of us individually with her love and concern as well as her people with her strength and courage."

He kissed her gently then sat back. She stared at him, unable to speak. He smiled at her.

"Is there anything else you'd like to know about yourself?" he asked.

She shook her head, her wide eyes had a touch of panic. "I'm not that person," she told him softly.

"Yes, you are exactly that person. You're even more. And what that more is, is what we're going to explore together. Now, about my question."

She hiccupped and stared at him a moment before she replied. "I know everything I need to know about you."

"Besides the iron suit and the projection, what'd you know about me?" he asked her gently.

"That you're my Tin Man. That you kept your sanity locked in an iron suit for almost a decade and when you came out you were still brave and loyal and devoted to what you believed. That you were willing to help a kid you didn't know, do something you didn't believe in, just because she believed. And that instead of rushing headlong into a relationship, you're willing to gently nurture someone who's falling in love with you but is afraid of what she's feeling."

She put her arms around his neck. As he drew her tightly against him, they lay down on the floor with Cain slightly on top of her. When their lips met, the passion that passed between them was almost as bright as her magic.

*************

Cain moaned slightly. He felt stiff and cold … except his left side. He opened his eyes and stared at a strange ceiling. He turned his head to see DG's dark hair against his left shoulder, her body snuggly against his left side. With a soft groan he sat up, pulling her with him.

"Don't," she muttered.

"Come on, Sweetheart, we fell asleep on the floor."

Grumbling she looked at him murderously. "You do know that's the first time I've slept without dreams for about three weeks, right?"

He kissed her forehead. "Yeah, but if I'd stayed in that position one more hour I would've been stiffer than when you took me out of that iron suit. Come on."

He stood up and held out his hands to her. Once she was on her feet, he turned her so she was facing the bedroom then tapped her bottom gently.

"Go. There are about three more hours till first sunup."

She turned around suddenly. "Are you leaving?" her tone was anxious.

He shook his head, "I'll sleep on the couch."

Staring, she took her lower lip between her teeth. He saw longing in her eyes, but there was also hesitation. He kissed her forehead, turned her around and gently pushed her into the bedroom.

*************

DG snuggled into her warm bed, pulling the blankets tighter around her. After a moment, she stretched, only her face and arms out of the warmth of the blankets. Then her eyes flew open. She jumped up and grabbed her robe as she opened the connecting door between her sitting room and bedroom.

Cain was working on the fire. He smiled at her over his shoulder. He walked over to her quickly. Taking her in his arms he gave her a short but loving kiss.

"Get dressed, Kiddo," he released her, "or I'm going to first meal without you."

"Okay," she agreed ducking back into her bedroom.

When they reached the mess hall, he put his hand on the small of her back, ushering her into the room.

Heads turned as they walked into the room. New Resistance Fighters had been arriving at the tower since the Battle of the Eclipse, as that day was being called. The story of what DG and her friends had done to help overthrow the witch had been making the rounds of the fighters. Jeb had made sure they had all viewed the projection of DG's memories showing what happened on the balcony.

In order to reach her friends and family, DG and Cain had to move between two tables of fighters. As they approached, everyone at the two tables stood up. DG hesitated.

"Princess," one of the men said respectfully.

Cain increased the pressure on her back. She gave the man a solemn nod before moving forward. Cain touched his free hand to the brim of his hat in the direction of the man who had spoken.

The Queen was smiling brightly as DG and Cain took the two empty chairs at their table.

"That was well done," Lavender told DG quietly so she would not be overheard. "That was a very correct response to a subject."

DG gave her a small smile. Cain noticed the tightness at the corners of DG's mouth and knew she was uneasy with her mother's comment. Under the table, he took her hand and gave it a squeeze. She smiled at him. This time he saw her eyes light up so he knew she meant the smile she had sent to him.

"You look better this morning," Ahamo stated. "You've been looking a little pale and worn the last couple of days. I'm glad. Your mother and I have been concerned that you wouldn't be able to continue with your duties."

DG nodded without comment.

They ate their meal discussing everyone's duties for the day. DG and Cain had been the last ones to the table. They were still eating when Jeb approached and bowed to Lavender.

"Your Majesty, you asked to be informed when the last of the fighters arrived. They'll be here in a few minutes."

Lavender stood up. Immediately, everyone around the table rose. She motioned to DG and Cain.

"Stay and finish your meals. Then join the rest of us in Ahamo's office."

With that everyone at the table but DG and Cain left.

"How long do you think we can drag this out before they send Jeb looking for us?" DG asked as they sat down again.

Cain chuckled. "I don't know … and I do not want to find out. Hurry up so we can catch up."

Now that the Queen had left, every few minutes a small group of fighters would come up to the table. Some of them simply gave the couple a nod as they walked by. Some spoke a respectful greeting to DG. Some stopped and talked to Cain, having known him from before he had been imprisoned in the suit. One group of six men dropped to their knees in front of DG. They were all wearing yellow jerkins.

"Highness, we are fighters of the Western Guild. While we did not fight in the Battle of the Eclipse, we have been fighting the sorceress' rule for many annuals. We have heard the epic of your trek across the O.Z. We have seen the projection of your battle with the witch. We pledge our loyalty to the Warrior Princess of the O.Z."

DG felt Cain's hand on her back and knew she needed to be careful.

"And the Queen?" she asked, her voice level.

"If it is your wish that Lavender retake her throne, then we will support her," came the answer.

DG nodded. "Thank you for your loyalty. I believe my mother will rule the O.Z. well. I am pleased with the plans she has for rebuilding the Outer Zone."

The man who had spoken bowed his head. "We pledge our loyalty to whomever Princess DorothiGale supports upon the throne."

They all stood up and bowed to her before moving away. As they left the room, no one still sitting at the tables spoke.

"We need to get to your folks now," Cain said softly in her ear.

She nodded and stood up.

Cain hurried DG into the office Ahamo had taken over. Everyone was standing or sitting around a map table, reviewing the troop movements.

Without preamble Cain announced, "The Western Guild just pledged their loyalty to DG in front of everyone left in the mess hall."

All the people in the room froze. There was dead silence. Slowly Ahamo straightened up from where he had been bending over the map. Lavender opened her mouth to speak but no noise came out. Az looked frightened and grabbed Glitch's hand.

"What happened?" Lavender finally managed to ask.

"She told them she supported you," Cain answered.

"And what did they do?" Jeb asked sharply.

Cain looked serious, "They made it plain they were pledging to DG. They only included Lavender because DG said she wanted her mother on the throne."

Lavender let out the breath she had been holding. She looked at Ahamo with apprehension.

"But isn't everything okay since they said they'd support you?" DG asked, confusion in her voice.

"No, my dear, it is not _okay_" Lavender answered in a strained voice. "It just means they will not start another civil war unless you indicate that is what you want."

DG turned confused eyes to Cain. "Didn't I do it right?"

He felt irritated that her parents made DG feel so insecure. Especially since she had just handled a delicate diplomatic situation so brilliantly.

"Darlin', if you had done anything less, we would have been at war before we left the room. You were perfect."

"Sit down, DG," Ahamo commanded.

He motioned to the remaining chair. Cain held the chair for DG. He stood behind her, one of his hands lying lightly on her shoulder. He could tell she was upset. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before Lavender spoke.

"In the long ago times, the Winkies, the members of the Western Guild, were subjugated by the Wicked Witch of the West. Your ancestor, the original Dorothy Gale, freed them from the witch's rule. However, they have never supported the rule of Central City unconditionally. They have always felt their loyalty was to individual rulers, not to the monarchy."

DG looked perplexed. "How does that affect the O.Z.?"

Ahamo smiled. "The O.Z. was becoming segregated by the time your mother came to the throne. The witch played on each group's mistrust of the others to keep the entire Zone in chaos. Your mother cannot rule the O.Z. properly if it is not united."

"So what does it all mean?" Her question was directed at Cain, not her family.

He got down on one knee so he was eye-level with DG. He gently took one of her hands in his.

"It means the Realms are more fractured than we realized. It means it may take longer than we thought to bring peace to the O.Z. It also means you are going to have to be a more visible element in the reconstruction of the government." He glanced down and then looked back into her eyes, his thumb rubbing over her knuckles. "It means you'll have to be much more exposed than I … than we had hoped."

She looked from Cain's soft eyes to her mother. Lavender regarded her with bright, hard eyes but said nothing.

"What can I do?" she asked looking back at Cain.

"You have done everything you could for now … and done it very well," Az assured her.

Glitch nodded in agreement. DG took a deep breath.

"Okay, so now what?" she questioned.

Cain stood up again. "Now we pull together a government."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** After His World Stopped  
**Characters/Pairings:** DG/Cain, rest of the cast, O/Cs  
**Rating:** NC-17  
**Warnings/Spoilers:** Adult content. Smut  
**Summary:** Cain and DG come to terms with their new lives after the eclipse. **A/N: **Thanks for the reviews I have received. This was my first time posting in . I didn't realize that the length of chapters would be a problem so I am reposting using more bite-size pieces. Nothing new except the format and this note.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own anything, anyone or anyplace.

**Chapter 3**

Two days later, just after first sunrise, a large party left the witch's tower, headed to Central City. Palace Guards surrounded DG and Az until they were hardly visible to any bystander. Cain did not like being away from DG but knew he could trust the men Jeb had assigned to escort the princesses. He would feel better when he was able to organize formal Protection Details for the royal family.

Initially, he rode with Jeb, Glitch and Ahamo. The four men continued to make plans for what needed to be accomplished as the long caravan moved slowly toward Central City. Shortly after they had started, Jeb and Cain left the group. They rode toward the city as fast as they could push their horses.

Cain knew all the secret ways of getting within the walls of the city. But as they approached the main gates, they realized they would not need to sneak in. There were no Longcoats. The people that were at the front gate included a man Cain knew from his days with the Tin Men.

"Beckett?" he asked.

"Holy shit! Wyatt Cain? I thought you were killed years ago."

Cain grinned. "Nope, my demise was greatly embellished." He touched Jeb's shoulder. "This is my son."

"Jeb? You were just a pup last time I saw you." Beckett held out his hand to Jeb who took it and shook hands with the older man.

Beckett pointed to the four men standing next to him. "These four have been working with me in the underground here."

Cain nodded toward them then turned back to Beckett. "And what's going on now?"

"Most of the Longcoats took off a few days ago. I've rounded up all the old Tin Men and Resistance Fighters I could trust. We locked up the Longcoats that hung around until we have time to deal with them. I've secured the city gates and some of the major areas. The Sin District has a parameter and no one is going in or out of there except supplies and medical."

Cain nodded. "The palace?"

"We're using the lower level for prison cells and we've taken over the main level as a headquarters. We have the staff in custody on the second level. We didn't know who we could trust."

"And where's your loyalty?" Cain asked.

Beckett exchanged looks with his men before answering. "I'm not sure."

Cain nodded in understanding.

"There are a lot of rumors," Beckett continued. "The Mystic Man disappeared a few days ago."

"He's dead. The witch killed him," was Cain's short answer.

"And that projection that was sent out?" Beckett questioned. "Is the younger princess really alive and back?"

Cain gave a curt nod. "She freed her sister from the witch's possession. The two princesses have destroyed the witch. Once she was released from the witch, Princess Azkadellia sent out orders to all Longcoats to turn themselves into the closest resistance leaders they could find."

"Glenda's Wand! Are you telling me it's over?"

"I think we'll have some pockets of rebels to clean up but there's going to be a restoration of the legitimate government."

Cain and Jeb exchanged a look. Jeb nodded. Cain turned back to stare at Beckett.

"Beckett, my son is the Commander of the Palace Guard. Will you surrender the palace to him?"

Beckett blinked at the young man. "Seriously?"

"He was in charge of the troops at the Battle of the Eclipse," Cain informed his old friend.

Beckett laughed. "Well, I'll be damned. If this isn't the strangest day I've had in a long time." He nodded at Jeb. "I'll be happy to turn the palace over to the man who stood against all those Longcoats at the tower. What can we do to help you?"

"I'd like to see the staff. I need to get some of the family's rooms opened and ready. The royal family will be here in a few hours. I think the Queen would like to sleep in her own bed tonight," Jeb answered.

Beckett looked at Cain, "The Queen is alive? And Princess DG is with her?"

Cain nodded. Beckett grabbed Jeb and hugged him tightly.

"You bet we can do that. By the Great Gale's Slippers! You have no idea what's waiting for you through these gates."

Beckett took them into the guard tower via the small front portal. Cain and Jeb started into the courtyard through a second doorway.

"No, follow me," Beckett told them as he started up a staircase.

They exchanged looks but followed Beckett. When they came out of the guard tower's second story onto the top of the wall, they were surprised to see that the first inner courtyard was full of people. Beckett held up both hands for quiet.

"The projection and the rumors are true," Beckett announced. "The witch is gone and the O.Z. is free."

There was an eruption of noise. Beckett signaled for quiet again. He pointed to Cain.

"This is the Tin Man we've been hearing about and this young man is his son, the Commander of the Palace Guard. They're here to open the royal palace. Princess DG and her family are coming home!"

Cain wished he had been able to record the city's reaction to learning that the royal family was returning to their capital city. He and Jeb could hardly get across the courtyard because everyone wanted to shake their hands and talk to them.

It took Jeb only a couple of hours to get everything situated the way he wanted it. While he was handling that, Cain and his friend caught up on what had been going on in the city. As they stood just inside the palace entrance, there was a deafening roar from outside. Jeb came rushing down the stairs to where the two men stood.

"That's the royal family arriving. Father, I need to you get DG up to her suite. Up the stairs, third floor, fifth door on the right. Az is the fourth. Tell Glitch."

Cain gave him a nod.

"Why were we told the younger princess was dead?" Beckett asked.

"That was a story the Queen put out to save her life. She's been in hiding on the Otherside."

Beckett blew out a deep breath. "There is a lot of story left to be told," he stated.

At that moment, DG came running into the Palace. She saw Cain and ran to hug him.

"A whole lot of story," Beckett exclaimed.

*************

Lavender was extremely pleased with the way Jeb had the palace organized so quickly. Once she was settled in her suite, she came down the stairs to the area Beckett and his men were using. Beckett knelt in front of his long-lost queen so he could kiss her hand. Lavender smiled and signaled for him to rise.

"I am pleased with your loyalty and grateful for your welcome," she told him. "Colonel Cain has told me a little bit about your background. I am most interested in getting the Tin Men back in control of the city as soon as possible. Would you consider taking command of the organization?"

"I would be most honored, Your Majesty."

She smiled. "Good. Please see the Consort immediately. Let him know the city's current status. Tell him what you require to secure the city so it can start to function again."

"What about Cain? I'd have thought you'd have him do this. I mean he was the best Tin Man there's been."

"Colonel Cain will be working in the palace. I need someone who can give their full attention to the Tin Men. I believe you to be that man."

He watched her go back up the stairs before hurrying off to find Ahamo.

*************

With the royal family in residence at the Central City Palace, DG began taking lessons with Tutor. But she did not make much progress in being able to use her magic.

DG could use the air to hold and carry a small item from one location to another or make her doll spin in air. She also managed to create small fires in her fireplace from time to time. She was even able to freeze water into ice as long as she was only working with a small bowl of the liquid.

But there seemed to be something blocking her from developing these small exercises into anything truly useful. She was becoming aggravated with Tutor's constant but uninspired mantra that she should concentrate and let the light flow through her whenever she asked him how to use her powers to better advantage.

She had tried talking to Azkadellia but her sister had been dominated by the witch and Dark Magic for so long, she could not help DG push through the barrier that seemed to prevent the younger princess from accessing her magic for any functional purpose.

Something else that occurred because of the move to the Central City Palace was that DG and Cain had started spending time together almost every night after final meal. They would talk about their lives before Cain's imprisonment and before DG's return to the O.Z., slowly learning a little more about themselves and each other.

After only a week in the city, Cain and Jeb took a squad back to secure the tower. Their purpose was to prevent any Longcoats from returning to steal the equipment. DG missed him. She found that without their quiet evenings and his goodnight kisses, she was not sleeping as well. The combination of the restlessness that had gripped her during Cain's absence and the irritation at her inability to develop her magic talents put DG in a state of heightened frustration.

One afternoon, as Tutor droned his catch phrases, DG lowered her hands and spun around to confront the instructor.

"Can you tell me exactly what you're trying to get me to accomplish?" she challenged.

"I just want you to be able to use your magic," he answered smoothly.

"Why?"

"So you can use it to your advantage," he responded.

"And do what?" she asked.

He stared at her blankly.

"Once I concentrate and let the light flow through me, what am I suppose to do with it?" she demanded. "How am I suppose to use my magic? I'm tired of spinning dolls."

"DG," he began in a patronizing tone, "I'm trying to show you how to control your magic so you can learn to do things with it."

She let out an exasperated sigh. "Like what? So far you haven't shown me anything to help with the princess things my mother's trying to get me to do?"

"Nevertheless, I'm sure the Queen would approve. She has appointed me to …"

"Then the Queen can take the lessons," DG declared. "I'm done."

Totally frustrated, she turned and left the room, slamming the door shut behind her. She stormed down the hallway. She was furious. Her eyes flashed with such anger that when a body guard came running up to follow her, her look was enough to make him drop back several feet and follow silently as her tense frame moved through the palace.

She had started toward her mother's office but then decided to talk to her father first. But as she approached Ahamo's door, she decided she didn't want to talk to him either. She stomped past the doorway and kept moving. She went up to the second floor using a staircase she did not remember using previously.

She wound through the maze of palace hallways, trying to calm her anger. As she hurried past an ornate entrance, she stopped suddenly. Her mouth dropped open at the sight before her. She walked carefully into a vast hall, almost afraid it was an enchantment that would disappear.

At the sound of footsteps behind her, she turned back to the doorway.

"Stay here," she ordered her guard.

"But, Your Highness," he protested, "I should check out the room before you go in. Colonel Cain was quite …"

His voice died in his throat at the look she turned on him.

"Since I didn't know this room was here and I've never been in here, how stupid would someone who wanted to attack me have to be to pick this place for an ambush?"

While the guard was still digesting that, she walked away from him.

Before her was an incredible library. It was a huge room with extremely tall bookcases on every wall. On the wall opposite the doorway were floor to ceiling windows alternating with the bookcases. The other three walls had a mezzanine accessed by a spiral staircase. Additional bookcases filled every wall of the raised space. A few large tables and several free standing bookcases stood throughout the immense room. To her right and left, DG saw small rooms.

She walked over to one of the smaller rooms. It was a comfortable reading room. The outside wall was all windows. There was a fireplace, comfortable seating and a few smaller bookcases. She discovered the other small room was similar.

Still amazed, she began to wonder around the main room. She stopped periodically to read a book title or pull a book off a shelf to flip through it. After a while, she found a filing system that was obviously the catalog for the library.

DG spent the rest of the afternoon familiarizing herself with the library. By the time she left, she was humming to herself.

Instead of going to her magic lessons, DG began spending her afternoons in the library. She had found books on almost every aspect of the Outer Zone. She took over the more feminine of the two reading rooms. It appeared that no one else used the library so she set up an office area for herself. She made notes on things that interested her from the books, wished desperately for a laptop computer, and created a list of subjects she wanted to look up after she finished with whatever book had her current attention.

*************

Cain had been gone for almost two weeks. He would have never believed that such a tiny slip of a girl could leave such a huge hole in his life. He had missed her so much that Jeb had stopped teasing him when it became apparent how unhappy Cain was being gone so long.

After completing their mission at the tower, they returned to Central City. They arrived back shortly after mid meal. When they dismounted Jeb had tugged the reigns out of his father's hand.

"Go find your princess," he said.

"I can take care of my horse first," Cain responded.

"You can … but you don't want to." Jeb chuckled. "Go."

Cain only hesitated a moment. Then with a smile, he hurried into the Palace. Cain went right to the room that had been set aside for magic lessons. He tapped quickly before he jerked the door open. He stopped. Tutor was in his Toto form, curled up in a warm sunbeam, sound asleep.

"Pooch!" Cain said sharply.

The dog raised his head and regarded Cain calmly. Cain's countenance hardened to an intimidating mask.

"Unless you want to start living outside in a dog house, you'd better transform and talk to me," Cain told him.

A moment later, the large, dark man stood before Cain.

"Why isn't DG here?" Cain asked.

"She quit her lessons."

"Why?" Cain asked.

"You'll have to ask her."

"But I'm asking you."

The man's eyes shifted. "She doesn't seem capable of learning."

Cain narrowed his eyes. "She's one of the smartest people I know. More likely you don't know how to teach."

"Well, whatever the reason, she hasn't been here for over a week."

"So where is DG?"

"I have no idea. I am not responsible for her." With that, he transformed back into dog form, went to his sunbeam, circled several times and lay down again.

Cain started to grab him by the scruff of the neck to shake him but thought better of it. Instead he hurried to DG's suite. He found neither DG nor her guard. Next he went to see the Consort. Ahamo called for him to enter on his first knock.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Ahamo," Cain stated quickly, "but since DG isn't taking magic lessons, I was wondering if you knew where she is. I just got back and …"

"What do you mean she isn't taking magic lessons?"

Cain stared at him. "I just talked to Tutor. He said she hasn't been there for a week. She isn't in her suite."

Ahamo went to the door that connected his and Lavender's offices. He tapped and opened the door. He quickly informed Lavender of the conversation. In five minutes Cain had organized a search for DG. He had the second-in-command of the Palace Guards, Devin Connors, take 20 Palace Guards to search the entire palace.

"They've found DG," Cain informed Lavender and Ahamo an hour later.

"Why is she not in her lesson?"

"I didn't talk to her. I just have a location on her," Cain replied.

Lavender looked at him, puzzled.

"I thought you might like to talk to her yourself," he told her.

"I have a great deal of work to do, Colonel Cain. I'm sure you can persuade DG to return to her proper past time."

"I think she may be engaged in her proper past time," he answered.

"Where is my daughter?" Lavender asked in frustration.

"I've been told she's been working every afternoon in the archives."

Lavender raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Do you know what she is doing?"

"I'm not sure. It took the guards almost an hour to even think of looking there. Her body guard has been stationed at the entrance. He said that she's been using one of the reading rooms as an office and studying chronicles every day since she discovered the place. He hadn't reported it because he assumed she had the right to use the archives."

"And you don't know what she is … studying?"

"No, Your Majesty."

"I think perhaps we'd better go find out," Ahamo told her.

When the trio entered the reading room, DG was on the floor with three books spread out in front of her, moving from one to the other, making notes on a large tablet.

"What are you doing, my angel?" Lavender asked as the trio entered the sitting room.

DG sat up, turning to her mother. A huge grin spread across her face.

"Cain!" She hurled herself into a hug.

"What are you doing, Kiddo?" he asked.

"Did you know about this place? It's amazing!" She turned to her mother. "Why didn't you tell me about the library?"

"Library?" Lavender asked.

"Archives," Ahamo supplied.

Ahamo waved at her work on the floor, "What are you doing?"

"Learning about the O.Z." She looked as if that she couldn't believe a question about something so obvious. "This is so much better than your lame advisors droning at me about how much I don't know. I am learning the most incredible things! But I'm still having a little trouble with the card catalog."

The trio exchanged looks.

"Archive key," Cain suggested.

Ahamo nodded, "Probably."

DG took Cain's hand and tugged him down to where she had been lying on the floor. "Look! This explains why those damn gnomes wear all that paint and feathers." She put a different book on top of the one she had just shown him. "And here is why the Eastern Guild was formed and why they didn't let everyone in originally. And do you know why there are two Guilds in the North but only one Guild every other direction? I think they have a book on anything I would ever want to know about the O.Z. It's amazing!"

"Chronicles," Lavender corrected.

"What?" DG shot at her.

"Not books. Chronicles."

"Whatever," she said turning back to her work.

Cain looked up at DG's parents, asking a silent question with his cocked head.

"DG," her mother asked softly, "why did you stop your magic lessons?"

"I wasn't learning anything," she stated.

"But you must learn how to use …"

"Yeah, yeah … look, I've learned more reading in here than Toto's been able to teach me in three weeks. Watch."

With that she flipped so she was lying on her back. She put both hands straight up in the air, her wrists together, her palms forming a half circle. A ball of blue fire appeared in her hands. She laughed and made the ball dance above her hands, spin and twist into itself. She clapped her hands to make it disappeared.

"You learned that by yourself?" Lavender asked.

"Yep. Toto hasn't taught me anything new since we've been here. I'm done with him. I've found a whole list of things I'm going to ask Az to coach me on."

Cain smirked, trying not to laugh at the expressions on Ahamo and Lavender's faces as they watched DG turn over on her stomach and pick up another book.

"Oh, Cain," DG said suddenly as if she had forgotten he was there. She gave him a quick kiss. "I'm really trying to finish this section today. Can you give me a few more minutes? And Mother, who do I talk to about changing the furniture in here? I don't need all of these bookcases but I would love to have a desk."

Cain's hand strayed to her shoulder. He ran his hand up and down her back. "You finish your studying and I'll do my report. How about final meal in your suite … just the two of us?"

"That would be great." She gave him another quick kiss. "I'll see you then."

Cain followed Lavender and Ahamo as they left the room. The couple stopped in the middle of the main room and waited for Cain to catch up to them.

"You said she needed to learn all about the Zone," he stated, waving his hand around the room.

"I think you are right, Colonel Cain," Lavender said. "I think she is exactly where she needs to be, doing exactly what she needs to do."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** After His World Stopped  
**Characters/Pairings:** DG/Cain, rest of the cast, O/Cs  
**Rating:** NC-17  
**Warnings/Spoilers:** Adult content. Smut  
**Summary:** Cain and DG come to terms with their new lives after the eclipse. **A/N: **Thanks for the reviews I have received. This was my first time posting in . I didn't realize that the length of chapters would be a problem so I am reposting using more bite-size pieces. Nothing new except the format and this note.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own anything, anyone or anyplace.

**Chapter 4**

All of the Outer Zone seemed to be taking a deep breath two cycles after the eclipse. The initial activity brought about by the fall of the sorceress seemed to reach the end of its momentum. For almost a week, a faux peace settled over everyone who had survived the witch's reign.

Upon reaching Central City, Glitch's brain had been set up in his old laboratory. It had traveled better than had been expected but was not completely undamaged. Raw was still able to connect Glitch and Ambrose although what Glitch was getting from his Ambrose half was becoming less and less with each session.

The former Resistance Fighters were now under the leadership of Jeb's former second, Lucas McCalhan. The fighters were either returning to their former lives or joining the Palace Guards, the Tin Men or the Ozian Army. Longcoats were being interrogated. The majority of them were former members of the Army who thought they were still following the royal family when the sorceress had first taken over. By the time they realized their mistake, they were trapped into continuing to follow orders or risk instant death. Almost every enlisted man was allowed to return to the Army that was being reorganized. Officers were being more closely scrutinized. Most of them had yet to be debriefed.

Everyone settled into a routine as Lavender and Ahamo planned what next step needed to be made to help return the O.Z. to normal.

But no one was too surprised that the quiet was disturbed late one night. A runner from the Western Guild came to DG several weeks after they had arrived in the capital. Nor were they shocked by the message he brought.

DG and Cain had been sitting in her suite. She was curled up against Cain's side, his arm around her, her head on his shoulder. She was drifting in and out of sleep as she watched the fire dancing in the grate, a book lying on the couch beside her. Cain was one-handedly going through reports he had been given by Jeb regarding the Palace Guards being transferred to the princesses' Protection Details.

Her balcony door started to open slowly. Without a sound, Cain disengaged himself from DG and crossed the room. The barrel of his gun touched the temple of the man in a yellow jerkin as he slipped into the room.

"The Western Guild sends greetings to the Warrior Princess of the O.Z.," the messenger stated calmly.

DG sat up straight. Cain moved the gun a couple of inches from the man's temple. The man slipped to his knee.

"I am Tomkin of the Western Guild. I bring news."

"What news?" DG asked.

"Longcoats gather in strength at the edge of Winkie Country. We know they are your enemy. The Western Guild requests Her Highness' instructions."

"Do you know how many there are or who's in charge?" Cain asked putting his gun back in his holster.

"I have maps and notes from my commander."

DG stood up. "Come with me. We'll go to the Consort."

As she left her suite she gave orders to a footman. By the time Ahamo and Jeb had arrived at the recently created war room, the messenger had been given food and drink. By the time Glitch arrived, the man's maps were spread out on the table.

Everyone listened as Tomkin made his report.

"This is very well organized." Glitch moved between Cain and Jeb so he could study the map to see how the Longcoats were deployed. "Very well organized, very well organized."

Cain and Jeb each hit Glitch on the shoulder closest to them.

Jeb nodded. "Do you know who's in charge?"

"The witch's commander, Zero," Tomkin replied.

Jeb swore savagely. He swung around to glare at his father. "You're responsible for this! I would have slit his throat."

"Did you send someone back for him?" Cain demanded.

"Yes. But he was gone," Jeb snapped. "Someone had let him out."

Cain's expression was stone, his eyes so icy they were almost white. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked with clinched teeth.

"What?" Jeb flared back. "Were you going to leave your protectee alone and go chasing him all over the O.Z.?"

"I would have … I could have … I …" Cain stumbled to a stop.

"That's what I was afraid of," Jeb stated. "That's why I didn't tell you."

Ahamo cleared his throat gently. "Gentlemen. The person in question should have been killed many times by many people. Let us make sure this is the last time he's allowed to endanger our land." He looked at Jeb. "What do you propose?"

"We have to rally some troops and get them into this area," Jeb pointed to a spot on the map, "as soon as we can." Jeb turned to the messenger. "Will the Western Guild support us?"

"If Her Royal Highness personally asks our leaders, they have said they will do her bidding."

"Absolutely not!" Cain exclaimed. "DG is not leaving the safety of Central City."

"And how safe will the city be if Zero marches on it?" DG asked quietly.

Cain's eyes flashed as he looked at her. He was furious with himself for not making sure Zero was locked in the basement of the palace. He was livid with Jeb for not letting him know Zero had escaped the iron suit where they had left him. And he was terrified DG was right and knew she was right. She would never back down from doing what she thought was her duty.

"Jeb, will you take DG back to her rooms and see that Tomkin has quarters? I need to talk to Cain for a minute," Ahamo interrupted the Tin Man's thoughts.

Cain stood waiting for everyone else to leave the room. He turned to Ahamo when they were alone.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper but you don't know …" Cain started.

Ahamo held up his hand. "Yes. I do. I assure you. What wasn't in the report either Jeb or DG have told me."

"I should have let Jeb kill him," Cain sighed. He bent over with his hands on his knees, his head hanging down.

"Your wife would not have wanted that," Ahamo said.

"I know but," Cain straightened up and looked the Consort in the eye, "I didn't just do it for my wife. Everything I told Jeb was true … but it wasn't Adora I was thinking about when I said it to him. I stopped him because I knew DG would've never approved of it. I didn't want her to hear I stood by while someone was murdered in cold blood."

Ahamo nodded.

"If she gets hurt because I let my feelings overrule my head … I knew the man was a viper and should've had his head chopped off," Cain whispered.

"But you thought he was going to be transferred to prison. I know. Jeb told me as soon as we knew Zero was missing. I agreed with his decision not to tell you." Ahamo let out a deep breath. "What we have to do now is do our very best to stop him before he can destabilize the government."

"I'm a little more concerned about him harming the Queen or the Princesses," Cain replied.

"Then I suggest you help DG do her duty. Help get her to the Western Guild. She should not be talked out of this," Ahamo informed Cain.

Cain stared at the Consort for a long moment. Hesitantly he gave a short nod before he left the room.

*************

Cain walked into DG's suite without knocking. DG had been staring out the doors leading to the balcony. She gasped and spun around when she heard the door close.

Cain gave her a puzzled look. "Are you okay?"

"Of course," she answered shortly, turning back to gaze out the doors.

He crossed to stand behind her. He felt that she was trembling when he put his hands on her shoulders.

"DG, what's going on?"

She rolled her shoulders as if she did not want him to touch her. He let his hands drop away. But in a moment, her shaking was visibly worse. Gently he turned her to face him.

"If you don't want to leave Central City," he told her, "I'll go talk to the Queen."

She shook her head. "It's not that."

"Then what?"

DG pressed against his chest and put her arms around his waist, pulling him close. Hesitantly his arms came around her to hold her.

"When the witch took me to the tower, he was there," she said softly.

Breathe! Time had passed and Cain's mind was sending an emergency command for his lungs to start functioning. His chest rattled with the effort.

"When you were in the tower … did Zero … what did he …" Now Cain was the one shaking. He took hold of her shoulders and held her away from his body so he could look into her face. "Tell me," he croaked.

He looked like he was on the edge of a terrible abyss but she had no idea what he was seeing at the bottom of the dark place he was visualizing.

"Wyatt," she spoke his name tenderly. "You have to tell me what you want to know."

"Did … Zero …" His eyes filled with pain. "Were you molested?"

Then she knew what he was seeing in his mind's eye. She was sure he thought his wife had been raped when their family had been attacked. Knowing she could alleviate his deepest fear about her time in the tower, a deep sigh of relief filled her lungs. Her hands cupped his jaws, her thumbs stroked his cheeks.

"No."

There was no response.

"Wyatt, do you understand me? Zero never touched me like that."

He stared at her. His icy blue eyes paled. He stared deep into her eyes. She suddenly knew the fear he would have instilled in a criminal he was after. She felt as if he was looking into her soul.

"You were frightened when you heard Zero was free. What did he do to you?" he demanded. His voice left no doubt that he would not stop until she answered.

She patted his chest lightly with both hands and lowered her head. One of his hands closed over hers, stilling them.

"I swear to you, Zero never sexually assaulted me." She kept her voice soft but it was firm.

"Then what did he do to you?" His tone brooked no sidetracking.

"He did manhandle me," she admitted, "but nothing serious. He jerked me by my arm, twisted it behind me. Things like that. Physically there were just a few bruises."

"And not physically?"

There was a long silence.

"Tell me, DG. I have to know."

There was another pause before she started softly.

"Zero hooked me up to a viewer. His name was Lylo. He was forced to try to recall what my mother had whispered to me about the emerald. He tried to tell them my memories were locked in magic. But they … they tortured him. He was connected to me. I could feel the tingle of the electricity they used on him."

She cocked her head. He saw tears well in her eyes.

"I could feel in my mind what it was doing to him," she continued. "I tried to remember something to help him, but I couldn't remember. I swear I couldn't remember," she pleaded for him to believe her. She blinked the tears away. "They tortured him until he passed out. Raw told me that he died right after they put him back in his cell."

"Will you answer a question for me? Can you tell me about the Mystic Man? You never told me how you knew he was dead."

Her eyes had become unfocused as she recalled her experience with Lylo. She refocused on Cain's face. She knew how important the older man had been in Cain's life. She frowned a little before she answered.

"The sorceress drew his life force out of him. She did it in front of me," her voice was flat, emotionally drained after reliving her captivity in the tower.

"Did Lavender know about Lylo when she forced you to let the viewer show your fight with the witch?"

"I don't want to talk about it any more right now." Her eyes were wide and sad as she looked at him. "Some other time. Is that okay?"

He pulled her onto the couch to sit on his lap. One arm went around her to hold her securely against him. The other hand pushed the back of her head until her face was pressed tenderly against his shoulder. They sat like that for several moments. Cain's mind kept replaying what DG had told him about Lylo and the Mystic Man. He clutched DG closer to him as his body began to tremble with the weight of his pain.

DG pulled back so she could look in his eyes. The pain she saw there was blurred by his unshed tears. She wound her arms around his head to hold him gently against her chest. She held him, stroking him tenderly as he finally let go of the last of the penned up guilt he had been feeling over the abuse his wife had suffered … and his failure to protect DG from the sorceress.

*************

Cain opened his eyes. There was a fire banked low in the fireplace. But this wasn't the sitting room. He started to move and realized that DG was lying with her head pillowed on his shoulder, his arm around her and one of her arms draped over his chest. As soon as he stirred she sat up. She placed both hands on his chest, holding him in place. She smiled at him.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He blinked a couple of times, looked around, recognized her bedroom and then back at her.

"I don't remember coming in here," he told her.

She smiled lovingly. She lay down beside him, tugging on his arm until it was around her again.

"That's okay. Let's just get some more sleep."

The fingers of his hand played gently over the blouse she was still wearing. He sighed.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Better. I'd never talked about it. I should have." Her hand stroked his chest. "Can you sleep again?" she asked.

"I think so."

"The third moon is just getting ready to rise. We should get some more rest."

*************

It was late when they woke the next morning. He was getting ready to go to the mess when she put a hand on his arm.

"Let's have first meal served in here," she suggested.

He smiled at her. He drew her into a tender embrace. He had no idea how she knew that he still needed to feel that he was keeping her away from the rest of the world … keeping her safe. But he was glad she did.

"Yeah, I'd like that," he admitted.

She opened the door. Two footmen were stationed in the hallway outside the suites of the royal family. She made her request to one of them. Cain had stoked the fire in the sitting room so there was a comfortable blaze. He was sitting on the couch. She sat down beside him. When she reached out for his hand, he looked into her eyes. Without breaking eye contact he slowly raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. She smiled brightly at him.

"Thank you for last night," he told her.

The fingertips of her free hand caressed his cheek.

"We both needed that – I needed to tell it – you needed to hear it. I just hope I'm always able to give you what you need," she confessed, blushing slightly.

"I can't imagine ever wanting anything that you can't provide."

The footman knocked on the door before entering. He rolled a portable table over to where they sat.

"May I be of further service, Your Highness?"

"No, everything is perfect. Thank you. Please close the door when you leave."

He bowed slightly before leaving the suite.

They ate in silence for a while. She topped off their coffee cups before settling back against the couch. She turned so she could look at him better.

"So," she started, "was last night one of those things you said we needed to learn about ourselves and each other."

He laughed, running his hand up and down her leg as it lay on the couch between them. "I think last night definitely falls into that category."

She smiled at him then stood up.

"I want to get cleaned up before we do any meetings this morning," she told him.

"Okay, I'll go to my room and be back here in a little bit."

"I'll be right here."

"You'd better be."

He gave her a brief kiss before he left the suite. She smiled at the closed door for a long moment, hugged herself and then danced into her bathroom.

By the time Cain had returned, DG was dressed in her favorite jeans and a tight-fitting silk blouse that was the same color as her eyes. Cain nodded his approval as he regarded her outfit. She smiled at him. Putting his hand gently on the small of her back, he led her out of the suite.

They found everyone in the war room.

"We were just about to send out a search party," Jeb commented drolly.

DG blushed faintly. Cain gave his son a stern look but did not open his mouth.

Ahamo nodded toward Jeb. "Commander Cain has come up with an excellent plan. The Queen has approved it. The plan is for you to move out tomorrow morning at first light." He paused and took a deep breath. "DG will lead the troops in the name of the Queen."

Cain glared at Ahamo but did not speak. There was a long pause as if everyone was waiting for Cain to explode. When nothing happened, Ahamo continued, "Obviously Jeb will have actual command of the troops in the field. Cain, I will expect you to see that DG is safe. You have absolute authority regarding her well being." He turned to look at DG. "Absolute authority given to him by the Queen," he emphasized.

DG stared at her father for a long minute.

"Lavender will not let you leave unless you agree to these terms. Even if it means the west falls."

DG sighed. "You know I'm not going to let that happen."

Ahamo nodded. Tomkin had been standing back against the wall. He took a step toward DG.

"May I join your party and return with you?" he asked.

"What were your orders when you were sent on this mission?" Cain asked, wondering if there were any hidden political agendas they needed to worry about.

"I was told to deliver my message and return. The manner of my return was not specified."

DG nodded. "If I let you travel with us, will you teach me about your country on the way?"

The man looked completely surprised by her request. "It would be an honor to so serve you." He bowed deeply.

"Be ready to leave at first light," Cain instructed him. "Meet us in the front of the palace."

"I will be there." The man nodded to the Consort and Jeb then left the room.

After he was gone, Ahamo turned to DG. "If you can confirm the loyalty of the Western Guild to you, that will go a long way towards bringing stability to the O.Z."

*************

Cain did not like this at all. Leaving DG at camp while he wandered the woods looking for an elusive ex-Tin Man was definite not in his how-to-guard-a-princess set of rules. There was nothing Jeb or DG or Beckett had been able to say that made him any happier about this unscheduled detour.

He glanced back at the five men Jeb had sent with him. They all stared straight ahead going out of their way not to meet his eye.

He really did not like this.

Cain looked over to his side. Beckett was doing his very best to act as if Cain, now staring stonily ahead, was not riding beside him with anger rolling off of him like water rolled off his fedora when it rained. Beckett swallowed. What the hell? He'd faced death before.

"She'll be alright," Beckett assured him.

Cain turned ice-cold blue eyes on him. "If nothing goes wrong," he shot back.

Beckett shook his head. "Your boy is a good leader … one of the best I've ever seen. I haven't seen him in action but he survived the witch and was elected leader of his cell. I'd guess he's good when it counts, too."

Cain's face twitched. He had to acknowledge what Beckett said was true. The icy look in his eyes softened a fraction. After a long hesitation he nodded his head.

Beckett chuckled. "DG is in the middle of an encampment. Even when the troops start to deploy into battle position, she'll still have an entire squad surrounding her until you get back. To say nothing of the fact that I personally think that young lady has a very good chance of takin' care of herself. And she does have magic as a last resort."

Cain scowled. "Her magic isn't very strong yet when she's away from her sister. I know it's not logical – I just didn't want her out of my sight on this trip. And I definitely didn't want to be more than a dozen spans away from her with Longcoats in the countryside."

"I know," Beckett acknowledged softly. "But you know Matt Decker. He absolutely refuses to believe you're alive until he's talked to you personally. He's suppose to have 40 Tin Men under his command. We need them if we're going to open up the Sin District for business again."

"I'm here, aren't I?" Cain shot back.

"Physically."

They arrived at the meeting spot. Cain had his men check the perimeter. When he was satisfied, he ordered one of the men to light the fire that was suppose to be the signal. He paced about 15 minutes before a lone man walked into the small clearing.

The new man and Cain stared at each other for a long moment. Slowly the new man held out his hand.

"Cain, good to see you."

With a wary look in his eye, Cain took the hand. "It's been a long time," he agreed.

Decker released Cain's hand. He nodded to the other former Tin Man. "Beckett."

"Decker," came the response.

Decker looked at the other men. "Palace Guard uniforms?"

"The royal family has returned and the Tin Men are aligning with them," Cain stated. "I understand you have several men under your command. We're here to see if you're willing to commit them to the Queen."

"Since when have you given a shit about politics?" Decker asked.

"Since politics put me in an iron suit for over eight years."

The two men continued to stare at each other in silence.

"I don't think so," Decker said finally. "I think me and mine'll be perfectly happy just waiting this out until I see which way things are going to go."

Before he could draw another breath, Cain had him backed against a tree. Cain's left forearm was crushing the man's windpipe, his gun cocked and pointing at the man's temple with his right hand.

"You know," Cain drawled, "the Decker I knew … wasn't a coward."

Decker's eyes narrowed.

"And he wouldn't have been afraid to make up his own mind to do the right thing instead of waiting to see who won," Cain continued.

The two men stared into each other's eyes for a long, long moment. The tension increased in the clearing. The younger men stood up and began to look around into the woods nervously.

"I'm here by myself," Decker assured them.

The corners of Cain's eyes pinched slightly. Suddenly Decker smiled.

"You don't think I'd risk my men's lives when I was sure I was walking into a trap baited with a dead man, do you?" Decker asked, suddenly friendly.

He appeared to not be at all concerned Cain could kill him by one of two ways.

Cain visibly relaxed. He nodded sagely before releasing Decker and holstered his gun. The two men exchanged a backslapping hug. Decker let out a deep breath to keep his eyes from tearing.

"Where the hell've you been?" he demanded as if Cain had missed a lunch appointment instead of disappearing for annuals.

"I've been in an iron suit since Zero overran my homestead."

"I always knew you were crazy. That's the only way a man could survive that long in one of those things."

"I've had help since I got out." Cain was all business now. "We have to move. Do you have men?"

"Just over 40. Almost 25 of them are former Tin Men or Resistance Fighters. The others are sons, cousins, people we could trust."

Cain nodded. "We're camped on the edge of the Western Country."

"Are you going to attack the Winkies?" Cain heard hesitation in Decker's question.

"Are you loyal to the Winkies?"

"I've never had a problem with them," came the flat answer.

"What about Zero?"

Decker swore vehemently. "I wish I'd cut that bastard's nuts off when I had a chance."

Cain blew out a breath. His eyes filled with remorse causing him to look away for a moment. He turned back to Decker.

"You, me and about a dozen other men. The Western Guild has asked the Queen to send support to fight the Longcoats Zero has brought into their land."

"No! The Winkies have pledged to the Queen!"

Beckett and Cain exchanged looks. Decker didn't miss it.

"I won't lead my men into something I don't know about fully."

Cain gave him a quick nod. "The Winkies have pledged to the youngest princess. She's requested they support her mother as long as Lavender is on the throne."

Decker looked as if he had been hit in the stomach. "It's true? She's alive."

"Alive," Beckett answered, "killed the witch, saved her sister and is sweet on Cain."

Cain extended his arm and the barrel of his gun was flush against Beckett's forehead. The move had been so fast, no one had seen his hand move.

"I can't believe you've lived this long, never knowing when to keep your mouth shut!" Cain hissed.

Beckett slowly raised both hands to chest height in an imitation surrender stance.

"And he's a still a little touchy about it," Beckett breathed softly.

Decker slapped his knee and bellowed with laughter. Cain looked uncomfortable but slowly replaced his gun. He gave Beckett one more harsh look.

"I'm glad I was able to brighten your day," Cain commented sourly to Decker.

The three old companions sobered. After a brief hesitation, Decker nodded.

"My men are just one span from here. Ride with me. Then we'll all follow you to your camp."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** After His World Stopped  
**Characters/Pairings:** DG/Cain, rest of the cast, O/Cs  
**Rating:** NC-17  
**Warnings/Spoilers:** Adult content. Smut  
**Summary:** Cain and DG come to terms with their new lives after the eclipse. **A/N: **Thanks for the reviews I have received. This was my first time posting in . I didn't realize that the length of chapters would be a problem so I am reposting using more bite-size pieces. Nothing new except the format and this note.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own anything, anyone or anyplace.

**Chapter 5**

They could hear the gunshots echoing off the hills, long before they were close to the camp.

Cain turned to Beckett. "Get them to the camp as soon as you can, safely."

"Where are you going?" Beckett demanded.

"I'm going down there. Now."

"That sound is coming from spans away. You'll kill the horse ridin' it that hard for that distance."

The look Cain gave him let Beckett know the horse's life was now expendable.

"We'll be there as soon as we can get there."

Cain heard Beckett's answer as he took off towards DG.

*************

Jeb's men brought the last of the Longcoats into the camp, bound and gagged, as Cain rode into the clearing. He jumped off the horse that stood blowing hard on shaking legs. Jeb signaled one of the men to see to the horse as he approached his father.

"Are you by yourself?" Jeb asked.

He began moving across the camp. Cain followed him.

"The others are coming. We couldn't risk killing all the horses. We were too far away when we heard the shooting." Cain was looking frantically around the campsite. "Where's DG?"

"She's safe. We were attacked from three sides and I couldn't get her out of the crossfire." Jeb pointed to a large metal box near the supply tent that they were walking towards. Rifles, guns and ammunition lay scattered on the ground. "I shoved her into the ammo box so she wouldn't get hit. Let's get her o …"

Cain grabbed his son by the front of his shirt. The force snapped the younger man's teeth together.

"You did what!" Cain roared.

Heads turned as Cain shoved his son away as hard as he could. He ran toward the metal box. Jeb followed, stammering slightly.

"Wha … I … she's okay … just a little …"

Jeb stopped at the sight of Cain's eyes as he turned back to his son.

"She was locked in the Gale sarcophagus by the witch! After being in that suit would you want to be in here?" he pointed to the box the size of a large coffin. "And she didn't have a window!"

"Shit!" Jeb was down on the ground throwing the lid open on the box.

Cain's heart sank when DG was revealed. He brushed past Jeb. Kneeling beside the box, he wiped a hand over his mouth. He took a deep breath before reaching out to DG. She was curled as tightly as she could get in the cramped space. Her hands were balled into fists, pressed against her eyes with her elbows tight against her sides. She was sobbing as if her heart would break. Cain stroked her arm but she did not respond.

"What can I do?" Jeb begged.

Cain took a deep breath before answering. "Try to keep people back for a few minutes. I don't want anyone to see her like this. Clear out a tent … not too small … as far away from other tents as you have. There are 40 new men coming in. Take care of them."

Cain turned back to the box and DG as Jeb moved off.

"DG." No response. "DG, it's me. You're safe." He began to stroke her wherever he could reach." The sobs seemed to slow down. "I need you to sit up for me. I can't get hold of you like this."

She cocked her head slightly but did not move her fists from where they were clamped over her eyes. The movement brought her elbow higher. Cain took hold of the forearm he could now reach and pulled gently. Still curled up into herself, DG sat up in the box. Cain stroked her hair. He glanced over his shoulder. Jeb was still working on getting a tent ready. He turned back to DG. He gently tried to tug her hands away from her face. She refused to uncover her eyes.

"DG, the box is open. I can get you out. But you have to help me," he crooned softly.

She released a terrified sob but didn't move.

"Hey, Kiddo, it's me. I don't lie to you, remember?" he told her. "Open your eyes. If you just put your arms around my neck, I can get you out of the box."

She took a deep ragged breath. Slowly she lowered her hands. Another breath. She opened her eyes.

"Wyatt!" The cry was almost inaudible her voice was so raw from her crying. She flung her arms around his neck clinging tightly to him.

Her change of position allowed him to get his arms around her so he could lift her out of the box. The second her feet touched the ground, he shifted and swung her easily up into his arms. He was carrying her to the tent Jeb had fixed for them as the contingent of Tin Men reached the camp. Cain nodded towards the new men.

"Get them settled," he told Jeb. "Keep everyone but Raw away from here. I need him as soon as the wounded are tended. When there's food ready, you bring it yourself."

"Father, I didn't … I'm …"

"We'll talk after I've taken care of her."

Cain sat DG on the sleeping roll Jeb had opened inside the tent but she refused to loosen her grip around his neck. Gently he took hold of her arms and pried her away. He kept hold of one hand.

"I'm not leaving," he assured her. "I'm just going to get you some water."

He moved to the water Jeb had left. DG took deep uneven breaths. In seconds, Cain was sitting beside her, one arm holding her gently against him, the other hand holding the water so she could take a few small sips. Eventually her breathing leveled almost to normal.

"Can we get out of this tent?" she asked as she snuggled closer to Cain.

"If you have to, but I'd rather not. There are strangers in the camp."

She nodded against his chest. "I can stay here … if you'll stay."

"That's my girl." He kissed her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere. You ready to tell me what happened?"

She nodded again. "Surprise attack. They were shooting at us from two sides. Jeb was able to regroup. He had me stuck in a safe area when they opened fire from a third side. I told Jeb I thought I might be able to protect myself with my magic but he wouldn't listen. When a bullet hit right beside my head he pulled everything out of that … that … box. I tried to tell him I didn't want to be in there but he … he … he …" She stared to cry softly. "He shut the lid! You don't know what it was like!"

Cain kissed her forehead again, gave her a hug and then asked gently, "Don't I?"

She hiccupped and looked up at him, a shaky smile on her face. "Okay, maybe you have an idea."

He chuckled. His hands continued to stroke her gently. They sat in silence for a long time before they heard movement outside the tent.

"Father?" came the soft question.

"Come in," Cain answered.

Jeb entered carrying two plates of food. He sat them down beside Cain. He knelt down in front of DG.

"I am so sorry," he exclaimed. He looked up at her, pleading with his eyes. "Can you ever forgive me?"

"Oh, Jeb!" she exclaimed softly. She let go of Cain long enough to give Jeb a brief hug. "I know you were only doing what you thought was best. It really was a brilliant idea … except …"

There was a catch in her voice as she settled securely in Cain's arms again. Jeb gave her a brittle laugh.

"Except I scared you half out of your mind."

She smiled. "I'm fine now … and alive."

Jeb slowly looked at his father. He was relieved to see understanding in the older man's eyes.

"Did you get Decker settled?"

"Yes. He's asked to meet DG. I told him he'd have to wait 'til morning."

"So Zero knows we're here?"

"No, that's the good news. This was a small group trying to get to Zero. We have no reason to believe Zero's aware of our location. I've sent out runners to the other positions to have them double their perimeter guards. They're to let me know immediately if there's any unexpected activity."

"Good."

"Tomkin took off right after you left. He said he'll be back tomorrow morning with the Winkie elders."

Cain nodded.

"DG," Jeb asked gently, "is there anything else I can do?"

She smiled. "Yes."

"Anything!" he swore.

"Get some sleep. You haven't slept for two nights. I don't want you exhausted when we go after Zero."

Cain chuckled and squeezed her shoulder. "You really have to be careful what you ask her," he informed Jeb.

Jeb acknowledge her request with a grin and a nod.

"You promised," DG told him.

Jeb raised his hands in surrender. "I am Your Highness' most loyal subject." He smirked at his father as he lowered his hands. "Well, maybe the second most loyal."

Cain laughed. "Go get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow. Where's Raw?" he added as Jeb pulled back out of the tent.

"He'll be here as soon as he's eaten," Jeb assured them as he closed the tent flap.

"Raw?" DG asked.

"I need you to sleep well tonight. I want Raw to help you."

"That's an abuse of his power," she groused gently.

"I don't care tonight. I need you on your toes tomorrow. You aren't strong enough yet to magically shield yourself without Azkadellia. Raw can help you sleep."

"Raw can do that," came a voice from outside the tent.

"Come in, Raw," DG invited.

"You heard?" Cain asked.

Raw nodded. "Raw will help DG sleep." He reached out his hand to touch DG.

"She hasn't eaten yet," Cain told the viewer. "Why don't you just sit with us and rest a few minutes while we have dinner."

*************

DG gasped and sat up, breathing hard.

"'ightm're," Cain muttered, drawing her back down beside him.

She took a few deep breaths before relaxing. His hand stroked her back as he snuggled her tighter against him. She lay quiet in his arms, listening.

"It's morning," she stated.

"No," he groaned, burying his face in her hair.

She chuckled. "Yes, listen. We have to get up." She let her fingertips dance over his cheek. "I kept you awake last night, didn't I? I know you didn't sleep as well as I did."

Slowly he set up, releasing his hold on her, looking around for his gun, hat and duster.

"I am definitely getting too old for this shit," he grumbled as he got ready to open the tent flap a few moments later.

"Did I hear that right?" Jeb asked as the couple emerged from the tent. He wiggled his eyebrows. "What did you do to him, DG?"

Cain swatted Jeb's arm. "Mind your manners. You're speaking to a Princess of the Realms."

DG gave Jeb a conspiratorial grin and mouthed, "I don't think he slept well."

The trio entered the mess tent. The new Tin Men were having their first meal. They stopped talking as DG entered the tent. Cain leaned over so he could whisper in her ear. She smiled brightly as he straightened. Together they walked across the tent.

"Your Highness," Cain started, "I'd like you to meet Matt Decker. We served together as Tin Men. He's brought his forces to pledge their allegiance."

DG extended her hand. Decker hesitated then clumsily took her hand and bent to kiss it. DG beamed at him as he stood up. Using both of her hands, she turned the court gesture into a handshake. Decker smiled back at her informality.

"You and your men are really welcome. Have you been told why we're here?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

DG sent a twisted smile at Cain. "That is just one of _Colonel_ Cain's little jokes. Please call me DG … at least as long as my mother isn't around."

Decker chuckled. "Thank you … DG."

She nodded. "We'd be honored to have you join us. Or you can head toward Central City and get started back there. I'm sure Beckett can give you instructions to take with you."

"If it's all the same to you, we'd just as soon stay around here for now. We've been fighting to protect the people of this region for most of the sorceress' rule. I think we'd like to finish it."

She nodded again. "The Winkies will arrive shortly. As soon as we're finished with that, Jeb'll prepare you to move out."

DG and Cain joined Raw at a table and quickly took first meal. They were just finishing when Tomkin appeared at her elbow. She greeted him with a smile.

"Are your people here?" she asked.

"In a few minutes. They are one span away. I came ahead."

"Let's go," she announced to Cain and Raw.

The foursome exited the mess tent. Jeb motioned for DG to come to the center of the camp. He had placed a rather large chair beside the central fire pit. He indicated she should sit down. She glanced sideways at Cain who gave her a barely noticeable nod.

She sat down with the Cains standing beside either shoulder. Raw sat on the ground to her right. She motioned for Jeb who bent over to hear her whisper. He left and returned a moment later. He retook his position as Beckett and Decker took spots on her left side.

That was how the Winkies found her as they entered the camp. Tomkin had gone to the edge of the clearing to await his people. When the group broke through the woods, he had nodded to the leader. Solemnly he led them to where DG sat.

A group of a dozen men and two women followed Tomkin to DG and her group. The obvious leader and DG regarded each other in silence for a long minute. Whatever the man saw in her eyes pleased him. He bowed his head to her and then knelt in front on her. The rest of his group followed his example.

"I am Hawkins of the Western Guild," the man announced.

"I am Princess DorothiGale of the House of Gale," DG responded.

"Our spies have told us of Your Highness' return to the O.Z. We have seen the projection of your victory over the Witch of Ancient Times. We know that you have restored Queen Lavender to her throne."

DG nodded. "And I have been informed how the Western Guild has valiantly defended the Winkie Country from the witch's control."

"Tomkin tells that your price for allowing him to travel with you was knowledge of the Winkies. Why does the Princess seek this information?"

"I need to learn everything I can about the Outer Zone. I asked Tomkin to explain some things I didn't understand that I've read about the Western Guild."

Hawkins studied her for a long moment. He nodded slowly. "The Winkies will gladly help Your Highness."

"I'd be very grateful for your service."

Hawkins watched her, cautiously. "We have come to see what the House of Gale would demand of us."

"Demand? Nothing. Request: We wish for your allegiance in rebuilding the O.Z. We would ask for your assistance in driving the last of the Longcoats from your borders. I'm grateful for the information you sent to me regarding their movements. I thought you wanted our help to eliminate the danger they represented."

"And the payment for this help?"

DG shook her head. "There will be no payment for freedom in the O.Z. All of my people will be free and unmolested as long as they do not injure anyone else."

The man stood up but the rest of the Winkies remained on their knees. He took a step closer, knelt again and reached for DG's hand. He pressed his lips to the back of her hand. Then he laid her palm flat on his chest.

"Already the Western Guild has announced our loyalty. When we notified you of the invasion of the Longcoats, you reply with your person and your forces. You demand no payment. You ask for our fealty but command nothing. You seek knowledge for wisdom's sake. As the leader of the Winkies, I now proclaim that the Western Guild pledges their hearts, their souls and their lives to the Warrior Princess of the O.Z. Her enemies are our enemies. Her friends are our friends. Her debts are our debts. Her honor is our honor. We serve her until the end of her days. I swear this for the entire Guild."

DG smiled at him as she stood up. She put her hand on his arm and pulled slightly to let him know she wanted him to stand up. He did so.

"Rise, all of you," she gestured to the other Winkies. "You are welcome to my camp. Have you taken first meal?" she asked.

"Yes, Lady," Hawkins answered.

"Join my Commander. Let him explain the battle plan for the upcoming fight."

"Yes, Lady," he said again. He pointed to three men, giving her their names as they stepped forward. "Gerison, Zeller, Molderian. These are my best Leaders of 100."

Jeb stepped forward. "You're all welcome. Please come to my tent. We'll go over the plans."

DG looked around and spotted McCalhan watching. She motioned to him.

"See the others get settled comfortably," she told him softly.

He gave her a nod. He began to confer with Tomkin. DG felt Cain take her arm to lead her away from the scene. They walked into the mess tent followed by Decker and Beckett. DG looked up at Cain. He could see the concern in her eyes.

"Was that okay?" she asked uneasily. "I tried to sound like Princess Leia. Did it sound as weird to you as it did to me?"

"Okay!" Beckett exploded softly. "Great Gale's Slippers! I know not this Princess Leia, but you have just single-handedly brought the most independent, touchiest, fiercest Guild in the O.Z. to heel like a little spaniel pup!"

DG turned from Beckett to look at Cain. A big smile spread over his face as he gave her a side nod of his head. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

She let out a sigh of relief as she slumped against Cain. He put an arm around her shoulder, gave her a brief hug and then released her.

"I want to go over to help Jeb," he told her.

"Yeah, all three of you, go. I'll find Raw."

*************

None of the movies DG had ever seen on the Otherside prepared her for being at the site of an actual battle. During the battle at the tower, she had been too high up on the balcony to understand the chaos of the fight. Now the noise seemed deafening to her as she watched. Even though Cain and Jeb had insisted she stay well away from the actual fighting, the haze and smell of the munitions rolled over the ridge she stood on with Raw and three dozen guards left behind to protect her.

At first DG had clung to Raw's hand. After they saw the Longcoats overrun one of their squads, Raw began to whimper from the intense emotions flooding from DG.

"Raw sorry. DG hurt Raw."

She immediately jerked her hand out of his. "Oh, Raw! I'm so sorry. You should've said something sooner."

She stood for several moments wringing her hands, flexing her fingers and breathing hard. Beckett stepped up beside her.

"If I'm not out of line," he said gently. He wrapped her hands around one of his arms that was encased in a leather coat like Cain's. "My old coat isn't nearly as sensitive as a viewer's hand. You just twist away, Little Princess."

She gave him a shaky smile. She held her hands still for a few minutes but shortly her fingers were digging into and twisting the well-worn hide.

After a long fight, a group of Longcoats appeared to overrun the position Cain had established to the right of the battle field. DG cried out and started to run forward. Beckett grabbed her around the waist. He held her hard against his side.

"No, Princess. Stay right here."

Magic flashed at her fingertips. "Let me go! Maybe I can help him!"

Beckett's chuckle made her stop struggling. "Cain doesn't need any help. Watch."

DG watched. Cain suddenly led his men as they surged forward to annihilate the group that had swarmed their original position. He motioned for his men to push onward into the Longcoat's flank. But as the men moved into the side of the enemy's line, DG saw Cain jerk and fall to the ground.

She screamed, fighting Beckett as he held her. He swore as her magic flashed, causing stinging burns on his hands. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

"DG, stop this!"

She gasped in surprise. Her eyes hardened. "Send these men down to get him. Now!"

"I will. I'll go myself. But you have to promise you'll stay here."

Their eyes locked and held each other for a long moment.

"Swear. Or I'll stand right here and let him bleed to death."

She gave a brief nod. "I'll go back to the camp. Get him."

She motioned for Raw to follow her.

"Watch her," Beckett whispered to Raw as he went past. The viewer nodded.

The fighting had flowed away from Cain as the Longcoat's flank collapsed and Jeb's men began the cleanup operations. Beckett ran to where his friend sat leaning against a tree trunk. Cain was pressing a hand against a wound high on his shoulder, not doing a very good job of stopping the bleeding.

Beckett replaced Cain's hand with a wad of bandages he had jerked out of the hand of a healer as he was rushing to where Cain sat.

"Hold that while we get you out of here," Beckett ordered slamming Cain's hand back against the bandage.

"Forget me. I'm fine. Get over that hill and help my squad finish off the Longcoats."

"I'm here under orders from DG to get you out of here. And unless you want her down here herself, you just shut up and let me do this."

Cain groaned but quit arguing with Beckett. Within a few minutes, the men were carrying him back into camp. They took him to his own tent where a frantic DG was pacing, wringing her hands. She followed the men who carried Cain past her into the tent.

The men backed away as quickly as they could, leaving DG kneeling beside Cain.

"DG, I'm okay," Cain tried to calm her.

She ignored him, calling for Raw. He shot out his free hand and took hold of her wrist.

"Let him help the ones that are serious. I'm okay."

She was trembling. She stared at her hand where she had changed the bandage against his shoulder. Her eyes were wide with terror.

"There's so much blood!" she gasped.

He realized suddenly that he was a bit lightheaded. DG screaming his name was the last thing he remembered before he blacked out.

*************

Cain's head was pounding plus his neck and left shoulder hurt like hell. Dimly he was aware of other people near him. He turned his head to see Jeb standing at attention in front of DG. He blinked. Attention? Gradually, her words became audible to his awakening senses.

"… he may be your father but you do not answer to him," she snarled. "You answer to my mother. You answer to me! If you ever endanger his life again the way you did in that battle, you'll wish the witch was back." She stopped, took a step closer to Jeb and stared up into his eyes. "You are _never_ to allow him on a battlefield again. If I ever find out he has not remained with the command staff, I will personally see that you are sent to stand midnight watch on the highest tower of the Northern Palace in the dead of winter. Do I make myself clear?"

"Do I have anything to say about it?" Cain asked.

She whirled to him. "Wyatt!"

She fell to her knees and grabbed his right hand in hers. She kissed his knuckles. As she raised her eyes back to his, he realized she was crying. He had only seen her actually cry twice the whole time he knew her.

"Hey, Kiddo, what's all the fuss?" he asked, his dry throat making his voice sound strained.

He saw Jeb's worried face appear over DG's shoulder. He handed his father a glass of water that DG helped him drink.

"How do you feel, Father?" he asked.

Cain struggled to sit up.

"No!" DG gently pushed on his chest.

To his surprise, she was able to force him flat on his back with no effort on her part. He blinked his eyes in surprise. Her breath was still coming in little gasps.

"What the hell's going on?" Cain asked.

She buried her face into his side. She was shaking. Her hand was grasping his with all her strength.

"I thought you were going to die," she managed.

He was just able to move his left hand to the top of her head as he gave Jeb a puzzled look.

"A little bullet hole?" he questioned.

"It had nicked an artery," Jeb informed him. "You were slowly but steadily bleeding out. By the time Raw healed you, you had lost so much blood it was touch-and-go for a while."

Cain looked at him. "Are you serious?"

Jeb gave him a strange look and motioned to DG. Cain's brow knitted in concern as his fingers moved absentmindedly against DG's hair.

"Come here, Sweetheart," he crooned deeply

"Please, don't ever frighten me like that again, Wyatt," she whispered.

"We'll talk about it," Cain replied.

She turned to look at Jeb. "As a Princess of the Realms, I order you to never let him into battle again. I'm not joking about this, Jeb."

There was silence in the tent. She saw the two men exchange a look.

"You will answer _me_, Commander Cain," DG ordered.

"I understand, Your Highness. As long as it is within my power, it will never happen again." Jeb bowed to her, recognizing it was indeed the Princess and not his friend speaking at this moment.

"Could I have another drink?" Cain asked. He was watching DG, trying to gage her reaction.

"And food?" she asked. "Could you eat something?"

"Yeah, I think so."

She smiled. The princess persona was gone with DG's relief that Cain appeared so much better.

"I'll be right back.'

She jumped up and hurried from the tent.

Cain and Jeb watched her leave the tent and then turned to each other. Jeb blew out a breath.

"I knew she'd be pissed but I didn't expect her to react that badly," Cain murmured.

Jeb sighed. "Yeah, well if you hadn't been unconscious for 24 hours, maybe she would've taken it a little better."

"A whole day?"

Jeb nodded. "We were really worried about you," he admitted.

Cain shook his head. "Sorry. I won't put you in that position again."

Jeb nodded, a smile touched the corner of his mouth. "I would greatly appreciate not having to get a dressing down like that again."

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Title:** After His World Stopped  
**Characters/Pairings:** DG/Cain, rest of the cast, O/Cs  
**Rating:** NC-17  
**Warnings/Spoilers:** Adult content. Smut  
**Summary:** Cain and DG come to terms with their new lives after the eclipse. **A/N: **Thanks for the reviews I have received. This was my first time posting in . I didn't realize that the length of chapters would be a problem so I am reposting using more bite-size pieces. Nothing new except the format and this note.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own anything, anyone or anyplace.

**Chapter 6**

"The Princess! The Princess!"

The crowds in Central City yelled and screamed, blocking the streets, until the returning army could not pass.

DG had refused to allow the expedition to move back to the city until Cain was able to sit a horse again. With the help of the healers and viewers, it had only taken a few days. But in that time, the news of the victory had reached Central City. The populace was frantic to see their warrior princess.

Afraid they might hurt someone if they tried to force their way through the unruly crowd, Cain and Jeb conferred quickly. Cain pushed his horse into the group of men surrounding DG further back in the column.

"Do you feel okay letting the people see you?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Yeah, why not?"

Cain sighed. He knew DG would never expect someone would want to harm her just because she was a princess.

"Okay, but I don't want to take the chance of getting separated from you if we lose control of the crowd. Slide over in front of me."

She gave him a strange look but allowed him and another officer to help her get from her horse over to his. With DG pressed firmly against his chest and his arms holding the reigns surrounding her, Cain kicked his horse to send the mount back toward the front of the armed force.

Jeb saw him coming. He had been giving instructions to the Palace Guard. Now he nodded for them to move ahead.

"Make way for Princess DG!" the men announced as they pushed forward.

It took a few minutes before the crowd realized what was happening. When they understood that they were going to get to see DG, they allowed the guards to form a corridor. Additional guards were now running from the palace. With the re-enforcements, the guards were able to line the street. They moved the people out of the way enough for Jeb's men to move forward.

Waving to the crowd, DG rode in front of Cain with the Palace Guards, Resistance Fighters, and Winkies following. The captured Longcoats were being held outside the city so they could be smuggled into the prison after dark to avoid any possible demonstration their appearance might provoke.

DG was greeted at the palace by her father and mother. As the Queen came out of the palace, the crowd drew quiet.

"I am pleased that my daughter has returned unharmed and successful. My blessings on all people who have fought in our cause. I welcome the Western Guild to our capital city."

There was a roar as DG and the Queen embraced. They turned to the crowd and waved, then went arm-in-arm into the palace.

*************

"You seem troubled," Lavender said. "What's wrong, DG?"

The Queen and DG had shared mid meal. DG had given Lavender a brief overview of what had happened during the campaign. After the meal, they had moved into a lovely little room that overlooked a garden. Windows reached practically floor to ceiling, flooding the room in warm, yellow light. It was the Queen's favorite sitting room.

"I wanted to use my magic during the battle. I couldn't seem to create a shield … just odd sparks when I was really upset. Shouldn't I have been able to help protect the men?"

Her mother smiled gently. "No, my angel, that is not how our magic works. The Gales are charged with the protection of the Outer Zone. While the magic resides in us, it is the energy of the O.Z. that makes our magic so powerful."

"Then why was Az so strong when she was possessed?"

"The witch used moritanium, science and machines to artificially increase her power. It was effective but it limited the range of her power. She had to stay physically close to the tower or the device to have full strength."

"So I can't conjure a milk shake out of thin air?"

Lavender chuckled. "No, that is not how we are allowed to use our magic. What we call magic is like an extra sense in our soul. It's for protection, we can create small shields as you and Az can do when you are together. And we can create illusions as the witch did when she hid Finaqua from view. We can transport life forces which is what allows us to slide."

DG frowned at her.

"Go from place to place in what appears to be a blink of the eye," Lavender explained. "But our primary use of magic must be to care for the O.Z."

"Is that why I was able to make that tree bloom when we were surrounded by the Papay?"

"Yes. If I had not needed to give you so much of my magic, I would be able to heal the entire area. Our most essential power is over the life force in everyone and everything. That is how the witch killed. She used Az' magic to draw the life force from beings. That is how I saved you, but putting mine into you."

"Can I give some to the Papay fields? Will I lose my magic if I do that?"

"Not if you only release a little at a time. It's like if you cut yourself. If you lose a little blood your body replaces it. If you lose enough to die, your body cannot replace it fast enough. It is the same with our magic. Release a small amount and your soul will replace it. Give it all away as I did, it cannot be returned. Tomorrow I will show you a chronicle in the archives that will answer many of your questions, I believe."

"So I can fix the trees?"

"That is the first thing you should do when you become queen and the O.Z. has anointed you with its power. You should make sure that everything that is still damaged from the witch is healed. Just use a small amount of magic at a time."

"What do you mean, when I'm queen? Az is going to be queen, right?"

*************

Cain tapped on the door of DG's suite. There was no answer. He tapped again. He frowned at the door when there was still no response.

He and Jeb had been locked away with Ahamo since their return to the palace. Food had been brought into them as they had analyzed everything that had happened during the expedition to the west. The Winkies had met with the Consort. Decker's Tin Men had been officially sworn in as officers again and his new men were started in training. Jeb had been given authority to recruit more men for the guard. Glitch had brought Cain up-to-date on the status of the Protection Details' training.

All-in-all, it had been a productive day, but Cain was tired and he wanted some sleep. First he wanted to see DG. He hadn't seen her since the Queen had taken her into the palace. He had told her they would have last meal together but had not been able to get to her.

He knocked once more before turning away.

"She is in there."

Cain turned to see Azkadellia standing outside her suite.

"You sure? She isn't answering," he said walking closer to the older princess.

Az nodded. "She probably thinks it's mother. She … they …" She stopped and stared hard at Cain. "You love my sister, don't you?" she asked as if she were asking him something as casual as whether there were two suns in the sky.

"What!" he gasped, blood rushing to his face.

Az laid her hand on his arm and smiled gently. "I'm not asking your intentions. I just want to make sure you have her best interest at heart."

Cain looked down at the floor for a long moment and then met Az' eyes. "We haven't really discussed it but …" A smile played on his lips. "Yeah, I …"

She laughed softly. "That's wonderful, Colonel Cain. I only want to say that she probably needs you tonight. Go in."

His brows knitted in concern. The smile left her face but she only shook her head.

"Go to DG," she repeated turning to go back into her own suite.

"Is he going?" he heard Glitch ask from inside the room as the door closed.

Cain looked at Az' door, then turned to stare at DG's. He tapped once more on DG's door. When nothing happened, he opened the door and stepped inside.

The room was dark and cold. The balcony door stood open but no one was out there. Cain closed the suite door and the balcony door wondering why the fire had not been lit. He crossed to the bedroom. He thought he heard movement so he knocked on the connecting door. DG did not answer. He turned the knob. This door was locked.

"DG?" he called softly.

He knew he could hear something on the other side.

"Open the door, DG."

"Wyatt? Oh, Wyatt!"

The door flew open. She flung herself into his arms. He gathered her tightly against his chest holding her as she clung to him. He looked over her shoulder and saw the bedroom was as cold and dark as the sitting room. It took him a split second to make his decision. He moved her back into the smaller of the two rooms, the bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed with her. She wrapped her arms around him holding him as tightly as she could. He rocked her gently, stroking her hair.

"Can you use your magic to light the fireplace?" he asked.

She made little growl before she waved her hand. There was a small explosion, smoke billowed and a large fire blazed in the fireplace. He raised an eyebrow.

"Little overkill," he said flatly.

She only shrugged as she snuggled closer to him again.

"Have you eaten this evening?"

He felt her shake her head.

"I want you to go take a long, hot bath. I'm going to get you some food."

"No!"

Her hands grabbed his vest so he couldn't leave her. He patted her hands.

"Okay, I won't leave. What if I have the hall footman bring something?"

She hesitated and then nodded. His hand stroked the back of her head as he kissed her forehead.

"Go get in the tub. I'll call when the food is here."

"Do you want me to light the other fire?" she asked.

He chuckled. "No, I don't think I want to chance that. I'll do it the old fashion way."

Her mouth twisted in an almost smile.

*************

"DG. The food is here," Cain called sticking his head into the bedroom.

The bathroom door opened. Cain had never seen anyone dressed like she was. She had on the O.Z. version of cut off sweat pants one of the palace seamstresses had made for her. She was also wearing an oversized tank top. The low neckline scooped along the top of her breasts.

"Come out when you get dressed," he said quickly pulling back into the sitting room.

She laughed. "This is what I sleep in," she told him.

He waved his hand in her direction. "Like that?"

She looked down. "Actually, this is considered pretty well covered up on the Otherside."

He looked uncomfortable but did not question her. When she sat down, he placed a small table in front of her. He removed the cover from her plate. She sighed.

"Don't you like it?" he asked.

"It just seems like a lot of work."

"Eating? Well, you need to eat some of it," he insisted.

With a nod, she began consuming the food.

They were silent as she picked at her food. She glanced at Cain. She noticed his duster and hat were missing. She smiled.

"What?" he asked lightly.

"I just think it's funny how you don't take your gun off when you take off your hat and coat."

"Oh, you do, do you?" he teased her as he moved to sit beside her on the couch.

Abandoning her meal, she curled her legs up beside her. As she scooted toward Cain, he opened his arms to let her lean into his chest. His arms closed around her. He held her close, not asking her anything, just letting her cling to him. As he knew she would, evidentially she took a deep breath and sat up. She took one of his hands in each of hers, looking down at their linked hands. However, instead of talking as he expected, she just sat quietly.

"DG," he started softly, "do you remember what I told you right after the eclipse?"

She shook her head. "I can't think straight right now."

"I told you that you need to tell me when something happens that bothers you. Obviously you're very upset tonight. I can't fix it if I don't know what's wrong."

She shook her head, refusing to meet his eyes, the only noise her distressed sigh. He was quiet for a short time. Finally, he stood up, releasing her hands.

"Are you leaving me?" she asked in panic.

He caressed the side of her face. "No, not leaving you … just going out of the suite for a while."

"Where?"

"I'm going to speak to the Queen."

"Why?" She jumped to her feet. Her hands clutched at his vest trying to get a hold on the smooth leather.

He put an arm around her and drew her close. "Sweetheart, something has you extremely upset. You won't tell me what's wrong. I'm a Tin Man. I'm going to do what Tin Men do. I'm going to investigate the situation. And since the Queen was the last person I know for sure you were speaking to, that's where I am going to start."

"No, please," she pleaded, a touch of panic in her voice.

Suddenly he stood very still. He took hold of her upper arms and held her away from him. As he stared at her his eyes became harder. He had a sinking feeling that her parents had been playing politics with DG's life again. Anger flared in his eyes as he tried to keep his hold on her firm but gentle. Her hands tried to grasp at him but he was holding her too far away. He gave her a short, gentle shake. Her hands dropped to her sides.

"You are scaring me," he told her evenly. "You have to tell me what's happened."

She shook her head violently. "I don't want to lose you," she cried, pulling away from his grip. She went to stand over by a window.

It only took him a minute to make a decision. He went over to the wall that connected the sitting rooms of the two princesses. He balled his fist and pounded on the wall.

"Azkadellia, get in here this minute," he bellowed all of his irritation with the Queen and her Consort in his voice.

Az and Glitch hurried into DG's suite. They found DG standing with her back to the room, staring out the window. Cain was pacing in front of the fireplace.

"Will someone tell me what's going on?" he demanded as soon as the other couple entered the room.

"No," DG cried with clinched teeth. "You'll leave when you find out."

"DG, he won't," Glitch assured her.

"You need to trust him, Deeg," Azkadellia told her.

"I swear by Glenda's Wand that I am going to shoot someone if I don't get an answer right now," Cain warned.

Az took a deep breath. "Mother told DG this afternoon that she would have to become queen," she stated.

"How soon?" Cain questioned.

"When Mother is ready to retire."

"And?" he asked.

"And …" Az prompted.

"And what else?"

Az shook her head. "Nothing else."

Cain looked confused as he focused first on Az and then Glitch. He turned DG around to face him. He took hold of her chin, forcing her face up so he could look into her eyes.

"Did you think I didn't know this?" he asked. "What else did you think was going to happen?"

She stared at him. Her hands clamped on his wrists.

"You knew?" she asked in amazement.

"I didn't know absolutely but I didn't see any other way it could play out."

"Really?" she asked.

He chuckled and leaned forward to kiss her tenderly. "Didn't you know I was just hanging around because I thought I could get close to the next ruler of the O.Z.," he teased her.

"I don't want to be queen," she said softly.

"I know." The humor left his voice.

"But you knew I was going to have to be?"

"You're a smart kid. Why didn't you figure it out?" His tone was tender.

"I thought Az …"

"The O.Z. will never accept the sorceress as queen. Most people will never see me as anything else," Azkadellia interrupted her, sadness etched in her words.

Glitch put a comforting arm around Az.

"Is that all you've been upset about?" Cain asked DG.

"Isn't that enough?" she huffed.

There was no answer. She looked into his face.

"What else could there be, Cain?"

Cain looked at Glitch and then Az.

"Have your parents decided that she needs a better man to bond with?" he asked the older princess.

"Bond? As in marriage?" DG asked.

He nodded yes.

"Better than who? Even if they did, where would they find anyone who's a better man than you are?" DG demanded.

Cain smiled at her.

"Someone from one of the old aristocratic houses. Someone closer to your age and station," Glitch explained. "Someone more suited to be Consort, more suited to be Consort, more suited …"

Azkadellia gently nudged him.

"That would definitely be a deal breaker," DG stated firmly.

"As far as I know," Az assured Cain, "there has been no talk about DG needing to take a new suitor."

"Then why were you so upset?" Cain asked DG.

There was no answer.

"DG?"

She glanced over at Az and Glitch. "Kind of personal here," she committed, blushing slightly.

"I guess we can tell when there are two, too many in a room," Glitch said easily. He took Az' hand. He led her out of the room, closing the suite door as they exited.

"DG?" Cain asked again.

She sighed. "Well, because you … I mean we never … "

She took a deep breath. She spoke in such a rush her next sentence sounded like one long word.

"I thought the reason you haven't made love to me is because you didn't want to get involved with someone tied to this stupid Court-thing and I was afraid you would bolt when you learned it was definitely going to happen."

He gave her a twist of the corner of his mouth. "You think I'm afraid of a throne? It's going to take more than a fancy chair to scare me away from your side."

Her hands began to twist. She picked at the hem of her tank top, unraveling the stitches.

"Then why don't you want to make love to me?" she asked, unable to look into his eyes.

"What in Ozma's Name makes you think that there is _anything_ in the O.Z. that I would rather do than make love to you?"

Her hands stopped moving. In the next instance, her eyes snapped up to meet his, shock registering across her face. He laughed.

"Why would you think that?" he asked again.

"Because you've never tried anything other than a few kisses."

"What kind of men have you been involved with on the Otherside?" he asked sharply.

She took a breath. "Well, if you're expecting a virgin … sorry."

"I wasn't … I didn't ..." He stopped. "I'm not concerned if you are a maid or not," he assured her.

She smiled gently at his archaic term but sobered quickly at his next question.

"But now I do have to wonder: Is there someone back there you're attached to?"

"No, there was never anyone special," she assured him.

He was quiet for a minute and then he said, "I'm sorry, but I don't understand. How can there not be someone special if you're not … if you've made love to someone?"

"Well, on the Otherside, sex is something that's kind of expected when you date. It doesn't have to be that big a deal. You know, a guy just counts on it."

"Were you forced?" he asked gently.

"No," she answered slowly, "not really forced. Kind of obliged, you know?"

"No, I don't," he informed her, his tone firmer.

"Are you upset?" she asked.

"Yes, very."

"I'm sorry," she answered contritely. "I didn't know about you and all of this when I did it."

"No!" he responded swiftly. "You asked if I'm upset. I am – that a man would try to have a physical relationship with you without being totally devoted to your wellbeing. I'm not making any judgment about your activities on the Otherside. I'm just sorry if you were hurt by what happened to you over there."

She threw her arms around his neck. "You are so wonderful!"

She pressed her lips hard against his mouth. Their tongues snaked around each other. Her hands roamed across his back, trying to pull herself even closer to him. She felt his body respond to hers. She moaned into his mouth. Her hands moved to the buttons on the front of his shirt. Suddenly he pulled back.

"Wha …" she gasped.

"Not tonight."

He was breathing harder than normal. He took a step back so they were no longer touching and took a deep breath. She twisted her face at him to let him know her disappointment. He laughed.

"Nevertheless," he told her as he took hold of her arm and led her to the bedroom door.

"Wyatt?" Her soft voice made him stop as he recognized an underlying fear. "I don't want to be alone tonight," she said softly.

"I'll leave the door open and sleep on the couch," he promised her. He gave her another quick kiss. "I have no intention of leaving you," he told her firmly.

*************

Cain was eating when she entered the sitting room the next morning. He handed her a cup of coffee and waved his hand at the table of assorted food.

"Anything strike your fancy this morning?"

She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked, suddenly serious.

"Yeah … I just didn't sleep too well. I kind of have a headache."

"I heard you tossing and turning. Why don't you go wash up? You'll feel better."

She was getting dressed when she heard Cain talking to someone. She entered the sitting room expecting to see her sister and Glitch.

"Who were you talking to?" she asked.

"A royal messenger."

She moaned as she sat down picking up something that looked a little like a Danish. "What now?"

"The Queen wants to see you."

She looked up at him. He could see the sadness in her eyes.

"I told him to ask Lavender if she would come down here because you aren't feeling well."

Her brilliant smile gave him a warm glow and brought a smile to his own face.

They were still eating when there was a knock on the door. Cain went to the door. He stood aside to allow Lavender and Ahamo to enter.

"I heard you were not feeling well," Lavender said as she crossed to sit next to DG.

DG shrugged, "Not too good," she agreed.

Ahamo sat down in one of the chairs flanking the fireplace.

"Colonel Cain, will you sit down?" the Queen requested.

Cain walked over to the other chair that faced the Queen.

Lavender patted DG's hands. "I am truly sorry that you were so upset yesterday. Your father and I thought you understood what was going to happen."

DG shook her head, her eyes falling away from her mother's face. Lavender took a gentle hold of DG's chin and tilted her face up so she could look at DG's face.

"Do you understand why it has to be this way?"

DG shrugged. "I guess I do. Cain talked to me about it last night. I just hadn't thought about it."

"Yes, about Colonel Cain," Ahamo started. "Your mother and I need to talk to both of you."

DG stiffened. Panic flashed in her eyes. She pulled her chin away from her mother's touch.

"I've been taken from my home," DG started, "I've found out that the only parents I remember are robots. They were rewired so they'll never remember me again. Glitch is attached to Az. Raw is getting ready to return to his people. You can't take Wyatt away from me!"

She didn't know when she had stood up but she realized they were all on their feet. Cain pulled her into a gentle embrace. Her arms went around his waist. She clung tightly to him.

"You said you wouldn't leave," her parents heard her sob against his chest.

"DG," he rocked her gently, "let your mother speak. You don't even know what she's going to say. I'll never leave you," he whispered. "Even if they only let me stay as your body guard."

"Please sit down," Lavender indicated that Cain should sit on the couch with DG. She sat in the chair Cain had been using. Ahamo sat back down.

"DG," Ahamo started again, "we're not trying to remove Cain from your side." He looked uncomfortable but continued. "Normally, we wouldn't be trying to interfere with your private life. Especially considering that you're almost 21 annuals old and are the second daughter and were raised on the Otherside. But since you are going to be queen one day, there are some things that must be sorted out about this situation."

DG sat up straight. She looked warily at her parents. Cain kept his arm around her shoulders.

"What does that mean?" she asked finally.

Ahamo exchanged looks with Lavender and sighed.

"Not to be too indelicate," Lavender said, "I guess I need to ask, are you lovers?"

DG blushed. Cain's fingers tightened on her arm.

"No, Your Majesty," he replied.

"You're not?" Ahamo questioned.

"Do you think I'd lie to the Queen?" Cain asked, an edge to his voice.

He knew their concern about DG's love life was not just to protect their daughter but more about how it would look to their subjects. He was sure they felt something for her. But he also knew they didn't really understand the DG that had been returned to them from the Otherside.

"No," Ahamo assured him quickly. "I just thought … I mean … she is …"

Cain gave him a twisted grinned. "Are you asking me why I'm _not_ sleeping with your daughter?"

Ahamo let out a bark of a laugh. "Yes, I guess I am."

Cain and DG looked at each other. She gave him a brief nod. Cain looked back at the royal couple.

"We think … DG and I … " There was an embarrassed pause before he continued, "I am not looking for a quick affair with her." He looked over at her. She saw something soft and tender flicker in his eyes. "I'd hoped to say this to you first, in private, but," he turned back to her parents, "I think I want DG as my bondmate. I hope to court her to convince her to accept me."

Lavender let out a breath. "That is wonderful!"

"Really?" DG asked in surprise.

"Absolutely," Ahamo stood up. He held out his hand. Cain stood up to shake hands with the Consort.

Lavender sat beside DG, took hold of her shoulders and turned her so they faced each other fully.

"We think Colonel Cain has the potential to make a wonderful Consort – with some instruction and guidance from your father. We were concerned if you two were not thinking along these lines that we would have to find you a suitor. You will need someone who can help when you assume the throne."

"How would you like to handle this?" Cain asked cautiously. "There are still some issues DG and I need to work out before I'll feel comfortable making this public."

"We have some time," Lavender told the couple. "It is important that our subjects feel secure in our ability to rule. Providing for the succession is part of that commitment. Should you decide you must part, I would like to be informed immediately."

DG nodded at her mother. "We can do that."

*************

"I cannot believe that my father just asked you why you weren't screwing me!"

DG flopped back down on the couch after her parents left.

"Screwing? I assume that is Othersider slang for …" The question in his voice trailed off.

She smiled, "Let's just say you shouldn't say it in polite society."

Cain shook his head as he walked out onto the balcony, leaving the doors standing open. DG watched him for a few minutes before following him.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"What's a penny?' he asked.

She smiled. "A very, very small coin. It means I would pay to know what you're thinking."

"They were awfully cold and business-like," he commented.

"They probably wanted to know if they had to order the perfect son-in-law so he'd be available when they needed him." She shivered.

"Chilly?" he asked moving closer to her.

She shook her head. "Only disappointed that our relationship was just something they needed to check off their to-do-list. It would've been nice if they actually cared how I felt about things."

He could see her pull into herself as her self-confidence disappeared. He gave her a quick kiss.

"Nothing has changed about how I feel about you."

DG nodded.

"But I would like a little bit of time to myself. Can you understand that?" he asked.

"Are you … going to be gone long? Will Jeb go with you?'

He laughed easily. "I was thinking a couple of hours. I don't think I need a babysitter for the afternoon, do you?"

She grinned at his teasing. "Before the travel storm, when I thought I wanted to be by myself, I was thinking halfway around the world for a few months … ah … cycles," she explained.

He pulled her into yet another embrace. "And how far away was this half-way around the world?"

She pondered that for a while. "I don't do distances very well. Probably from the Northern Island to Finaqua, maybe 10 times that far."

He looked at her in amazement. "Your world is that large?"

"Well, _my_ world was about 20 square miles. But _the_ world is a very large place."

"Have you thought that you might want to go back?" he asked, suddenly very serious.

She looked at him for a long moment. She leaned up to kiss his lips. "Pops always told me that home is where your heart is. I think I've found my home."

He pulled her into a long, passionate kiss.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

**Title:** After His World Stopped  
**Characters/Pairings:** DG/Cain, rest of the cast, O/Cs  
**Rating:** NC-17  
**Warnings/Spoilers:** Adult content. Smut  
**Summary:** Cain and DG come to terms with their new lives after the eclipse. **A/N: **Thanks for the reviews I have received. This was my first time posting in . I didn't realize that the length of chapters would be a problem so I am reposting using more bite-size pieces. Nothing new except the format and this note.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own anything, anyone or anyplace.

**Chapter 7**

Jeb stared at a furious DG. He took a deep breath, determined to hold his ground.

She glared at him. "I thought your job as Commander of the Palace Guard was to make sure the Princess is happy."

"No, my job is to make sure you're safe. Whether you are happy or not is somebody else's problem. Thankfully," he added under his breath. Then louder, "I am not going to let you go out into the city without a body guard."

"I have a half dozen body guards. Pick one."

"I will only allow you into the city with your primary body guard."

"Great! Go find him."

"You know as well as I do that my father went out riding this afternoon ... with your permission, I believe … and has not returned."

She shrugged. "Not my problem."

"Come on, DG," Jeb pleaded. "You know Father will cut my heart out with a dull knife if you get out of here and anything happens to you. Please wait until he can take you."

"DG!"

Both DG and Jeb spun around to see Lavender standing on the stairs leading between the main entrance hall and the public offices. Jeb bowed to the Queen.

"DG," her mother said evenly, "if you have so much energy that you can pick a fight with the Commander of _our_ Guard, you can help me deal with the delegation that has just arrived from the Northern Ice Guild. Please put on appropriate attire and meet me in the throne room in 30 minutes."

DG threw Jeb an angry look before marching down the entrance hall to the staircase that went directly to the family wing. Jeb bowed his head in acknowledgement to Lavender.

"Do you know what she wanted to do in the city?" Lavender asked.

Jeb shook his head. "I think she's just a bit bored today. She said she wanted to look around. She'd heard today was market day."

Lavender nodded. "Perhaps you could suggest to the body guard in question that he arrange to take her next week. Tell him to see Ahamo for some money."

Jeb nodded. "I'll see it's taken care of."

One week later, DG practically danced down the aisles of the open air market that was set up in the Central City Main Square. She had pointed out something that fascinated her at almost every booth. Cain was enjoying watching her explore the clothing, foods, household goods, pets and music of the market. He surreptitiously purchased a pair of earrings that she had liked while she looked over a collection of fruit. He shoved the earrings into his pants pocket and turned to DG.

She was gone.

He quickly looked around but could not see her. Trying not to panic, he looked around again. Seeing the top of her head, he hurried in that direction. DG was squatted down in front of a little girl who was crying.

DG stood up, the child in her arms. She looked around. She saw Cain and motioned to him. He was already rushing to her side.

"Don't you ever leave me in a crowd like this," he exploded.

DG blinked up at him. "I'm sorry." She really did seem repentant. "I was just two booths away. Then I saw this little girl."

"And who is your friend?" he asked looking at the little girl who had stopped crying to stare at Cain with open-eyed fascination.

"She says she's lost her mother. I promised her you'd find her."

Cain raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you did, did you? Well, I can't let a princess be a liar, can I?"

He put his hand on DG's back and guided her through the crowd to a small side street. They went a few feet down the street before Cain stopped in front of a windowed door. He opened the door then jerked his head to indicate DG should go in ahead of him. She stepped into a brightly lit office and stood in front of a desk.

The man behind the desk glanced up then back at his work. "May I help you, ma'am." His head shot back up. He jumped to his feet. "Your Highness?" he yipped.

Everyone in the office looked up. There was total silence for a split second followed by scrambling sounds as they all rose quickly to their feet. Someone appeared in the doorway of an office in the back. He saw everyone in his squad room standing at attention. Frowning he looked toward the front desk. With a smile he hurried forward. He held out a hand to Cain.

"Cain! Good to see you."

"Zobel, how have you been? Your Highness, this is Wilson Zobel, the captain of this Tin Man post."

"Your Highness, it is an honor. How may I help you?"

"This little girl lost her mother in the crowd of the market. Can you help me find her?"

"Absolutely!"

Within minutes, the Captain had a group of officers out searching the crowd. It was a very short time before one of them ushered a tearful woman into the office. The woman took one look at her child in the arms of a beautiful woman and ran across the room. She sank to her knees grabbing the child tightly in her arms.

"Arianna! I told you to never wander away from mommy in the market." The woman looked up at DG. "Thank you, ma'am. How can I ever thank you?"

"Arianna told me that you were looking for work in the market," DG spoke quietly, "because the witch killed her daddy."

"Yes, ma'am," the woman answered quietly.

"What kind of work do you do?"

"I think I could do some needlework or housework."

"What did you do before?" Cain asked her.

"I … I didn't …"

"Who was your husband?" Cain asked looking at the woman closer.

"He was Lieutenant Clumbersun of the Palace Guards."

"Is that why he was killed?" DG asked gently.

Tears welled in the woman's eyes as she hugged her daughter to her tightly. She nodded. "He tried to smuggle us out of the city, hoping we could work with the resistance."

"Where are you staying?" DG inquired.

"I have a room over the tavern just before you reach the Sin District."

DG stood up. "Captain Zobel."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Could I impose on you one more time?"

"Anything, Highness."

"I know this is not a job for a Tin Man, but if you could please see that this woman is taken to her room, help her pack and bring her to the palace."

The woman was staring at the princess with her mouth open.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, I didn't recognize you," she stammered.

"That's okay. What's your name? Arianna told me your name was Mommy," she smiled.

The woman returned the smile. "Carolynne."

"Carolynne, when you reach the palace, tell the guard to bring you to my suite. I'll tell them to expect you."

"May I ask … why?"

"I think I can find a better place for you to raise your little girl than the edge of the Sin District. Your husband gave his life for a better O.Z. I'd be honored to help you find it."

*************

Cain walked back to the Palace, his arm firmly around DG's shoulders. He kissed her temple as they got close before he had to release her. At the side entrance, DG informed the guard that she was expecting Carolynne. They had not been home for a very long time before there was a knock on the suite door. Cain admitted the woman who was holding her little girl by the hand.

Arianna ran to DG when she saw her again. DG knelt down so the little girl could throw her arms around DG's neck.

"Arianna!" her mother gasped in horror. "Forgive me, Your Highness," the mother begged as she grabbed for the little girl.

But DG laughed as she stood up swinging the little girl around.

"There's nothing to forgive. Please sit down."

The woman nervously took her daughter and sat the little girl at her side on the couch. DG sat in one of the chairs.

"First, I am sorry for the loss of your husband," DG stated. "Now, I take it you never worked outside your home before."

"That's correct, Highness," Carolynne admitted reluctantly.

DG asked gently, "Can you tell me what you can do? You mentioned sewing."

Carolynne raised her eyes. "I do some needlework."

She reached in her jacket pocket. She handed a small handkerchief to DG. DG admired it and then handed it back.

"Before … what did you like to do?" DG asked.

Carolynne shrugged her shoulders. "I was an officer's wife. I kept our home. Held dinner parties. Ah …"

"Did you attend court functions?"

"A few, Your Highness. I was never a member of the Court. I was about Your Highness' age and just married. But I have met your mother on several occasions and was honored to have been asked to one of her afternoon parties once."

"Carolynne, I have two offers for you. If you want, I'll give you an allowance and you can go anywhere you want in the O.Z. But I'd like you to stay in the palace."

"In the palace? Doing what, Your Highness?"

"I think I'm going to need some ladies-in-waiting. I'd like it if you would become my first companion."

Carolynne simply stared at DG with her mouth open. DG laughed.

"Why don't you sleep on it tonight? You can let me know in a day or two," DG suggested.

"I don't need to do that. I would love to stay with you."

DG was amazed at the sincerity she heard in the woman's voice. "But you don't know me. And in all honesty, you're going to be little more than a maid right now," she protested.

Carolynne smiled. "Everyone has heard about the loving princess who has returned to heal the O.Z. It would mean a great deal for me to serve you."

DG looked up at Cain. "So do they have paperwork on this side, too?"

*************

Lavender was very happy with DG's decision to take on a lady-in-waiting. She was equally pleased with her choice. It was the only thing DG and her mother had agreed about in a week.

Carolynne started her official duties a few days after her arrival in the palace. The morning she started, she had tapped on the door of DG's suite before entering the sitting room. She stopped and then moved cautiously to the open doorway of the bedroom. DG was lying on the bed, her face buried in her crossed arms, crying softly.

"Your Highness?" Carolynne hurried to her side.

"DG," came the teary answer.

The older woman sat on the side of the bed touching DG's back.

"DG, then. What ever is wrong?"

"I'm losing all of my friends."

Carolynne was glad that the princess could not see the smile that touched her lips.

"I doubt that you will ever lose any of your friends. Everyone loves you."

"But Raw's leaving," DG insisted.

"You can't blame him for wanting to see his friends and family once in awhile. I'm sure he's planning on returning, isn't he?"

"Yes," she admitted reluctantly. "But I don't know when," she moaned sadly the tears already drying.

Carolynne patted her back. "Well, when he does come back, he'll not be pleased if you're sad. Please get dressed. You're missing first meal."

"DG?" Cain's voice sounded from the sitting room.

Carolynne went to the bedroom door.

"Her Royal Highness is indisposed this morning," she announced.

Cain's look of concern softened seeing that DG was not alone. "Great. But how's DG?"

Carolynne came forward. So the rumors about the princess and the Tin Man were true. She shook her head.

"DG is unhappy Raw is leaving Court," she answered quietly.

"Would you bring some food up here? I don't want her going down there if she's upset."

It was some time later. Cain had a pillow behind his back, leaning on the headboard. DG was sitting beside him, his arm around her. She was picking at some food Carolynne had put on her plate. Cain's fingertips played along her arm.

"Raw knew you were upset," he said softly.

She moaned and laid her head on his chest. "I thought I'd fooled him. I tried to use my magic the way Az told me to mask feelings."

Cain chuckled. "He knew that, too." Cain motioned for Carolynne to take the plate away as he sat up straighter pulling DG with him. "You have to get dressed."

"Why?' she protested with a phony whine.

"Because the Eastern Guild is here."

Now she moaned in earnest. "What on earth do those garden gnomes want now?"

Carolynne quickly covered her mouth to keep from erupting in laughter.

Cain looked at Carolynne sternly. "Do not encourage her," he said firmly.

The lady-in-waiting knew Cain's reputation. But after watching him with the young princess this morning, she knew as long as she was loyal to the princess, she would never have any need to fear him. Although she did not answer him, her eyes danced brightly.

"Some body guard you are," DG said getting up from the bed. "Even Carolynne isn't afraid of you."

Carolynne disappeared into the bathroom for a few minutes.

"Your bath is running, DG," she announced when she returned. "I'll lay out your clothes." She turned to Cain and raised an eyebrow leaving no doubt that she thought it inappropriate for Cain to remain any longer.

"Right," he stated. "I'll go change and be back."

DG laughed. "You're more afraid of her than she is of you."

"She's meaner than I am," he quipped as he hurried out of the suite.

By the time Cain returned, DG was dressed in a tight fitting pair of pants and a blouse with balloon sleeves. She carried a pair of knee-high boots into the sitting room.

"So what does the Eastern Guild want?" she asked Cain seriously as she started putting on her boots.

"Honestly?"

"Yes," she drew the syllable out in exasperation.

"I think they were thrown by the fact your mother sent an army to help the Western Guild. With the Longcoats gathering in the east now, I suspect, they're trying to get on her good side."

"Great! They should have thought about that before they threatened to flay me."

He shrugged. "They messed up. Make them pay for it."

"How? Make them stand in the garden and hold the horses?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of making them mine moritanium for you."

Her heel slammed into her second boot. She started up at Cain.

"They're miners?"

"Yeah. The theory is that's why they're so short."

"Well! This could turn out to be a good day after all. Glitch was just saying that we need more metal than he can buy." She stood up. "Let's go squash some gnomes."

*************

DG put a hand to the side of her head. Her headache had started an hour into the meeting. It had changed from a dull throb to piercing pain going into the third hour. She motioned to a footman.

"Please lower the blinds," she requested softly.

"Do you want to adjourn? Cain asked.

"I want this ended," DG declared a bit louder.

Her comment brought the discussion that Lavender had been having with Blue Hatt to a halt.

"And how would Her Highness like this to end?" came the question in Blue Hatt's snide tone that DG remembered so well from her captivity.

"Quickly." DG looked at her mother. "I'm sorry, Mother, but if the Eastern Guild is not interested in helping to rebuild the O.Z. I see no reason why they should be coerced into participating. I'm sure my friends in the west will supply all the help you will require."

"Are you saying that the Eastern Guild is not able to offer anything to help the O.Z.?" Blue Hatt demanded.

"No, I'm saying that if you don't want to be a part of our alliance that I don't understand what my mother thinks you can provide that we need."

Blue Hatt visibly huffed up. "The Eastern Guild provides moritanium, emeralds …"

DG shrugged. "I'm sure there are other mines."

Blue Hatt glared at her. "What do you want?" he demanded.

"The Western Guild has given me a life pledge. What does the Eastern Guild offer?" she asked.

The Munchkins gasped.

"We have not heard this," Red Hatt said.

Blue Hatt hushed him. DG shrugged.

"I can't be responsible if you're not able to keep up on the activities of my mother's domain. Everyone who's aligned with us is aware of this pledge. If you don't want to re-associate with the O.Z., as far as I'm concerned, that's your decision. Before we adjourn, I do want to warn you of something."

"Are you threatening us?" Blue Hatt snapped.

DG and Lavender both stood up.

"No one said anything about a threat," Lavender stated, her tone making it plain that she thought the Eastern Guild leader was completely out of place. "I must agree that this meeting has reached a standstill. We will adjoin and perhaps schedule another meeting in the future. For now, my daughter wanted to know if she could give you a warning. Do not make me regret that I gave her permission to do so."

Lavender left the room followed by Ahamo and her advisors. Blue Hatt glared at DG.

"What do you have to say?" he demanded.

Cain took a step closer to her, pinning Blue Hatt with a hostile stare.

DG looked at Red Hatt. "I won't deal with Blue Hatt's continued rudeness. I want the Eastern Guild to know that we weren't able to capture all of the Longcoats when we fought them in the west a few weeks ago. The commander of the witch's forces is still at large. Please watch out for your people. I'm concerned that the Munchkins may be harmed if the east isn't strong enough to stand by itself. Good day."

DG actually leaned against Cain as she left the room. As inconspicuously as possible, Cain supported her as he hurried her to her suite. He got her into the bedroom before she slumped against him, unable to move any more. He sat her on the bed and swung her legs up.

"DG, what's wrong?"

"I don't know. My head is killing me."

"Your head? What do you mean?"

"Don't you have headaches here?"

"I suppose so. I've never had one," he told her.

"Of course you haven't," she moaned. "Close the blinds. I feel like someone is driving a knife in the side of my head. Just let me sleep."

Cain darkened the room. He caressed DG's head and placed a kiss on her temple.

"I'm going to go find a healer. I'll be right back."

She nodded. Moving her head forced an involuntary moan. Looking troubled, Cain hurried for the healer. She was trying to doze off when she realized someone was in the room with her. She sat up with a start and found herself staring into Red Hatt's eyes.

"What are you doing in here?" she demanded.

"I wanted to know more about your warning."

"I've told you people everything I intend to. If Blue Hatt wants to keep the East out of an alliance with my family then go live your lives and leave me alone. Now, please get out of here."

"I am not finished talking to you."

Red Hatt felt cold metal against the side of his head. There was a click as Cain cocked his gun.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't blow your brains all over this room," he hissed.

"Because I want to reunite the east with the rest of the O.Z. … and so do many of us."

"Did he hurt you, Princess?" Cain asked.

"No, I'm fine," she assured him.

Slowly Cain removed the gun from the man's head.

"If you ever come into the Princess' chambers without an invitation, I'll redecorate this room with your brains. Are we clear?" Cain demanded.

Red Hatt gave him a short nod, unknowingly taking a small step closer to DG.

"Solve your internal problems," DG told him. "When your people are united in their decision, you may come back to Court. For now, leave in peace. Take care of the people."

Red Hatt bowed. Giving Cain a wide berth, he hurried out of the room.

Cain's hand was trembling as he reached out to stroke her hair. "I should've never left you unguarded. I really must be getting old."

She gave him a crooked smile and lay back down.

"The healer will be here shortly," he told her.

She just motioned for him to go into the other room.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

**Title:** After His World Stopped  
**Characters/Pairings:** DG/Cain, rest of the cast, O/Cs  
**Rating:** NC-17  
**Warnings/Spoilers:** Adult content. Smut  
**Summary:** Cain and DG come to terms with their new lives after the eclipse. **A/N: **Thanks for the reviews I have received. This was my first time posting in . I didn't realize that the length of chapters would be a problem so I am reposting using more bite-size pieces. Nothing new except the format and this note.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own anything, anyone or anyplace.

**Chapter 8**

DG sat up in the darkened room. She was hungry, thirsty and felt sticky. She realized she was still wearing her boots from earlier in the day. When they were off, she threw them in the direction of the wardrobe.

Cain opened the connection door and stuck his head into the bedroom.

"Food or bath first?" he asked.

She paused to consider her answer. "Bath. If I eat I might fall asleep before I get around to a bath."

DG only let the water fill about half as full as she actually liked it to save time. She was going to tell Glitch about showers heads. The O.Z. version of a shower was not much more than a hose held up high. When she was dry, she put on a beautiful floor-length gown with a matching robe.

"I've just got cold food but if you want something hot, I'll go …"

Cain stopped talking. He stood staring at her when she came into the room. She blushed prettily but refused to allow him to see how pleased she was with his reaction to her attire.

"What?" she asked innocently. "You said I wasn't dressed properly the last time you were here overnight."

He quickly covered the short distance between them. Sweeping her into his arms, he leaned her back against one arm and placed his mouth hungrily over hers. She fluttered her hands trying to find something to hold onto. One hand latched onto the armhole of his vest. The other hand wound around his head pulling his mouth closer to hers.

She had no idea how he was holding her, she felt like she was laying back in midair. She felt one of his hands on her back. His other hand seemed to be everywhere, stroking her skin through the silky gown she wore.

She moaned in the back of her throat causing him to draw her tighter against his chest. Her tongue played around the inside of his mouth and then withdrew into her own. His tongue followed. When she sucked on his tongue she was rewarded from a groan that rumbled in his chest.

"Where did you learn that?" he gasped.

"Cosmo."

He pulled away from her. "Who's this Cosmo? You've never mentioned him."

She laughed, delighted with the jealousy vibrating in his eyes.

"It's a magazine, goofus. It tells women what men like and how to handle them."

"A magazine? Goofus?" he questioned as he drew her upright.

She took a half step away from him and laughed again. "Okay, new rule: no teaching Othersider slang while trying to seduce the Tin Man."

He grinned at her. "You need to eat first anyway."

DG sat beside Cain, her legs draped across his lap, munching on various foods from the tray he had brought to her suite.

There was a brief knock on the suite door. Carolynne came into the room, looked at DG's position and raised her eyebrow at the Tin Man.

"And do you think it is proper for the princess to be draped over your lap in that attire, Cain?" she asked, humor dancing in her eyes in spite of her stern expression.

"If I see the princess, I'll ask her," he replied.

DG smiled at Carolynne. "I think the princess has retired for the night." She looked at Cain. "In fact, I don't think she'll need you until late tomorrow morning."

"Very good, DG," Carolynne dropped a curtsey. "Do you want me to turn down your bed before I go?"

"No, I can do that. Really, you can go. Thanks," DG told her.

"Good night, Colonel Cain," Carolynne said as she left the suite.

Smiling broadly, DG returned to her meal. When she was finished with her food, she turned to look at Cain. He lifted her onto his lap. She rested her arms on his shoulders, her arms extended, her hands clasped behind his head.

"How's your headache?" he asked.

"Mom's healer fixed it. Had you ever met Bow before?"

"No, I hadn't."

"He said you were nervous about him."

Cain shrugged. "He was right."

She leaned in to touch his lips with hers. They exchanged several soft kisses before their need became more intense. Gradually they shifted so they were lying on the couch, Cain stretched out, DG on top of him. As he tried to hold her even tighter, she leaned away from him slightly.

"This would be much more comfortable in bed," she suggested.

Cain stiffened a fraction, withdrawing into himself. She took her lower lip between her teeth. Her eyes grew wide with hurt.

"I shouldn't have said anything," she whispered as she moved off of him.

He tried to pull her back against him.

"There's nothing wrong with what you said," he told her.

She pushed away from him and this time managed to climb completely off the couch. She went to stand looking out the window. He crossed to stand behind her. Slowly he put his arms around her waist. He leaned forward and kissed her temple.

"Don't you have casual sex here in the O.Z.?" she asked.

"Yes, we do. But what I feel for you is not casual. It would go against everything I believe to just have sex with you." He turned her around so she could see his eyes. "I want to make love to you. I want you to return that love. I want us to know that what we have is what we each want … for the rest of our lives."

Her eyes showed her confusion. "How can you know that without …" She took a deep sigh. "I'm not very experienced with men," she said softly. "Not like a lot of girls my age. The guys I hooked up with weren't … well, they …"

"Do you want to talk about them?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No. They really didn't mean anything."

"But you slept with them?"

She looked at him again, looking a bit nervous. "You're disappointed in me."

"No, not disappointed. I just don't understand," he told her.

She sighed. "I wanted to find someone who made me feel like I belonged. I never seemed to fit in over there. There were a couple guys I dated kind of seriously. After a while, they expected to have sex … and I'd let them. But it never … they both just … I didn't …" She stared at him looking even more confused and much younger than her years. "It never seemed to be the big deal everyone always talked about.

"You didn't want sex. You wanted love," he told her.

She shrugged. "I guess so."

He cradled her against his chest. "What do you want from me, DG?" he asked gently.

She was quiet for a long time. Finally she took a step back. She took hold of his hands. Looking up at him, her eyes were large and bright with apprehension.

"I know you've promised you'd stay with me," her voice trembled. "But I'd understand if you decide all the bullshit of being Prince Consort is something you don't want to do."

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't willing to do that," he assured her. "I just think everything in your life right now is moving too fast. Don't you want more time? Try to meet some people your own age? Or even just be by yourself for a while?" After a pause, he added softly, "I just want you to be sure."

She shook her head. "I've been by myself. I've been with boys my own age. I don't want to be anywhere but where you are. When I've been working to help my mother, I haven't wondered what my parents would do or think. I haven't thought about what anyone in the O.Z. would think about what I've done. I've only had two guidelines to help me make any decision. I hope that all of my decisions will help the O.Z. and … I want you to be proud of me and what I've done." she said shyly.

"Even if you do something to disappoint me, I'll only be disappointed in your action … never in you. There's nothing you can do that will change how I feel about you."

"That's what I feel about you," she told him solemnly. "Is that the kind of relationship you want?"

"It's exactly the kind of relationship I want with you," he assured her as he pulled her into his arms.

She pressed her face into his shoulder. "There's so much I'm unsure about … so much that I thought I knew that turned out to be lies." She turned eyes, dark with passion, to look at him. "But I know that you'll never do anything to hurt me. I know that I'd do anything in my power to see that little smile on your lips or to hear that soft little chuckle you make when we're alone together. I know my life is hollow when you aren't beside me. And when you are, I feel like we can make the whole universe right. I think that's love, isn't it?"

Her question was asked in a breathy whisper as she leaned into his mouth.

He tangled his hands in her hair when he pulled her mouth against his. He had a mastery and possessiveness that she had never experienced before. She clung to him, allowing the emotions to seep into every pore of her being. He pulled back a few inches. Her eyes asked the obvious question. His smiled softly.

"I've been in love with you since before the eclipse," he acknowledged. "But you've had to adjust to so many changes in such a short period of time." He stroked her cheek. "And I still don't think you're ready for this yet."

Her eyes clouded slightly. "Don't I get to decide when I'm ready?"

"DG, I want to help you … support you. Part of the job of Consort is to advise." He put his forehead against hers. "I feel like I'm pushing you off a cliff here." He pulled back and smiled. "But there is nothing that would make me happier than to let the whole Outer Zone know that the most beautiful princess in the land was silly enough to fall in love with an old ex-Tin Man," he confessed.

She laughed and put her hands on the back of his head to pull his lips against hers. He gave her another quick kiss before taking one of her hands so he could lead her over to the couch. He settled them against one of the arms with DG firmly tucked against his side. He took one of her hands in his and turned it so he could kiss her palm. Then he linked fingers with her.

"Okay, I'll talk to your parents tomorrow morning, just as soon as I've told Jeb," he told her.

"Alright."

"Now, Sweetheart, your parents will probably want to move quickly. I have no doubt they'll announce the engagement immediately. And they'll probably want the wedding just as soon as they can get that put together. Are you sure you're alright with that?"

"I don't care but I don't see why they'd want to hurry."

"Well, we still have to cajole your damn lawn gnomes into joining the alliance."

DG giggled.

"And we still have to find Zero and the rest of the Longcoats," he continued. "And there are still people who don't believe Az was acting completely under the control of the witch. They're afraid of what she'll do if something happens to your mother. If Lavender can announce not only that you're going to be the next Queen but that you've also selected your Consort, it'll give a lot of people peace of mind."

"The people like you and trust you," she told him. "I know having a hero of the eclipse as Consort will make them happy."

He looked a little bit embarrassed. She grinned. He looked at her sternly.

"I have to know for sure that you're okay with all of this. Your parents are going to use this for their political advantage. You and I will have only a limited amount to say about anything regarding the engagement and the wedding. We need to control the things that are important to us."

She studied him for a long time. "Don't you trust my parents?"

"I think they have their own way of looking at what is best for you."

"What if I don't want everyone to know for a little while?" she asked.

"If you just want a couple of weeks, we could still tell your parents and ask them to wait awhile to announce the engagement."

She squeezed his hand. "And if I want it to be just us for longer?"

"Then we won't tell anyone until you are ready," he promised her.

She sighed. "You think we should tell people right away, don't you?"

"I think," he answered slowly, "that telling people will relieve a lot of stress in a lot of quarters. It could even avoid some possible conflicts with some of the independent resistance cells. But I also think that this is going to be one of the last decisions you can make based purely on your personal desires so you should do what you want."

"Let's ask my folks to join us in here for first meal tomorrow. You can get up early and talk to Jeb. Then come here so we can tell them together. And we'll ask them to wait as long as possible to announce it. Maybe we can have a week or so before it all becomes public."

*************

"Was there a special reason you asked us to have first meal in here this morning and invited Colonel Cain to join us?" Lavender asked after both couples had finished eating.

"Yes," DG told her. She took hold of Cain's hand and grinned at him. "While it isn't our first choice, we have agreed that you can announce that I will be Queen and that Wyatt will be my Consort. But there is one thing," she pleaded.

"What, my angel?" Lavender asked.

"Wyatt thought you would want to know right away. But could you wait a week or two before you announce it. We'd like a few days to just be together before it all hits the fan."

"Why would anyone strike a fan?" Lavender asked.

Ahamo laughed. "You are so lucky that your mother doesn't understand half of what you say."

After the royal couple left, Cain turned to DG. "We'll be lucky if we get a week. What would you like to do before they make the announcement?"

"Do you think we could go away for a day or two? I'd love to get away from Mother's frowns over my clothes and her hanger-ons nagging about how I don't take enough interest in government."

He looked studious for a long moment. Finally, he shook his head slowly. "I don't think so. I'm sorry, DG. Your mother is going to want you around to make plans and pick out flowers or whatever girls do with their mothers when there is going to be a wedding. But we could probably use Finaqua for our honeymoon. We should be able get away with a week or more then."

"That would be great," she answered, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

"Tomorrow we can go for a ride. Maybe take a picnic mid meal. But today I've got some things I need to do."

DG nodded. "Okay. I found a new book yesterday I didn't have time to start. I'll just go to the library while you're gone."

He cocked an eyebrow at her. She rolled her eyes.

"A chronicle in the archives."

He smiled and nodded.

"And tonight, will you do something for me?" he asked.

"Sure, what?"

"I'd like to have final meal with you, in here, just the two of us."

She smiled. "That'd be great."

"Would you get dressed up? Like I was taking you out."

She chuckled. "Okay. Why?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise. Will you do it?"

"Yes," she smiled broadly, "I'll order dinner and be here, all dressed up."

*************

Carolynne opened the door when Cain knocked that evening.

"Good evening, Colonel Cain," she greeted him. Her tone left no doubt that she approved of his attire.

"Carolynne," he greeted her. "Perhaps you could get some water for these flowers?"

"I'll be back in a moment."

DG came from the bedroom. She stopped, blinking in surprised when she saw Cain. Her Tin Man was dressing in a dark military-like uniform. There was a whole chest full of medals and ribbons. And he was carrying a bouquet of exotic looking flowers. She laughed out loud clapping her hands.

"They're beautiful!" she exclaimed as he handed them to her. "What are they?"

While they waited for Carolynne to return with a vase of water they picked through the flowers as he told her about each one of them. The lady-in-waiting took the flowers when she returned. In a moment she had them arranged in the vase and placed them in the center of the table set for dinner in front of the balcony door.

Cain held the chair for DG then sat down opposite her. Carolynne removed the warming covers and placed their plates on the table.

"Good night," she curtsied before she left the suite.

DG and Cain talked a little bit about what they had done during the day but there were also long, comfortable silences as they ate. When the meal was ended, Cain stood up. He held his hand out to her. Blushing slightly, she put her hand in his. He led her over to one of the fireplace chairs.

"Please, sit down," he instructed.

Curious, she sat. And then her eyes popped open in amazement when he went to one knee in front of her. Cain tenderly took her left hand. He lowered his head to kiss her palm. He continued to hold her hand as he looked into her eyes.

"DG, I don't know when I fell in love with you. But I know I have been in love with you for quite a while. I'm sorry that we haven't been able to court in the typical fashion. Mostly, I regret that you were rushed into this without being given a chance to understand everything that is about to change in your life. But tonight, I want to do this, just as I would have, if we had had all the time and all the experiences we should have had, during a courtship."

He placed a ring on the end of the third finger of her left hand.

Looking back into her eyes he asked, "DG, will you be my bondmate? Will you let me be your Consort? Will you trust me to help you for the rest of your life?"

Tears welled in DG's eyes. "Oh, yes, Wyatt," she managed in a shocked, breathy whisper.

He slid the ring on her finger and kissed her finger tips. She threw her arms around his neck, causing him to have to sit down on the floor to catch her. She laughed as she settled on his lap, kissing him deeply.

Then she turned to look at the ring he had given her. There were two stones, one the icy blue of his eyes, the other the deeper shade of hers. She turned to look at him, her mouth slightly open in surprise.

"Where did you ever find these perfect stones?" she asked.

He chuckled. "Well, one more shop and you would have had a green stone. I had just about given up finding what I was looking for," he confessed.

He fished another ring out of his pocket.

"I talked to Ahamo. He told me on the Otherside there are two rings, one for the engagement and one for the bonding. Here we only have one ring for both." He held up a larger version of her ring. "I went ahead and bought my bonding ring so you would have it."

He handed it to her.

"Do we wear the rings before the bonding?" she asked.

"Yes, once we're betrothed, we don't have the right to be with anyone else. The bonding ceremony is a public confirmation. We make our pledge to each other in private."

Blushing, she took his left hand. With her lower lip between her teeth, she slipped the ring partly onto his finger. She looked up into his eyes.

"I want you for my Consort, my husband, my lover," she said softly.

She pushed the ring completely onto his finger. She placed her palm against the side of his face and tenderly leaned into his mouth again. Their kiss became more passionate.

Cain's hands roamed over her body, not able to get her as tightly against him as he wanted. She had her arms wrapped around his neck, her fingertips stroking his head and his shoulders. Her tongue was frantic in its attempt to possess his mouth. He twisted her so he could lay her on the thick carpet and covered her body with his own. As he pressed tighter against her, her legs parted slightly. One of his legs slid into the gap. His thigh rubbed against her tender center.

She gasped at the contact arching her back to create a firmer contact. He jerked his lips away from hers and stared at her. Her eyes were glazed and heated.

"Don't leave me tonight, Wyatt," she whispered.

"I will never leave you again," he promised.

Cain stood up. He reached his hand down to DG. When she took hold of his hand, he pulled her to her feet. Sweeping her into his arms, he carried her into the bedroom. After settling her on the bed, he closed and locked the door. He simply stared at DG as she lay on the bed, her dark hair and red dress spread around her on the bed for a long moment. Finally he removed his uniform jacket and toed off his boots before approaching her.

DG had been watching Cain as he moved around her room as if he owned it. She had never liked men who acted possessive, but this calm, self-confidence was exactly what she wanted from Cain she realized. He sat on the edge of the bed. They stared into each others eyes. And then his hands were on her body. Within a few moments, DG lost all track of what was happening.

Cain's hands and lips seemed to be everywhere. As they moved over her body, more and more of her flesh was being exposed to his direct ministrations. She would remember the tactical pleasure of running her fingers through the tightly curled golden hair across his chest and the firm sculpture of the muscles across his back … and his lips.

She knew she would never have enough of his lips. His mouth has crushing hers, taking away her breath. Then it was dancing over her skin. She definitely realized as his gentle traveling kisses moving from her throat only to end as he sucked one of her nipples in such a way she felt a flash of white hot pleasure shot through the center of her being. Her gasp came out as his name.

He switched to her other breast. Then she became aware that one of his hands was touching the tender spot between her legs with feathery strokes. As the attention to her second breast produced the same blazing feeling, his finger intensified the sensation by sliding in to stroke her velvet lining as deeply as he could reach.

The sounds that she produced nearly drove him crazy. She was moaning from the depth of her soul. As the sound escaped her lips she was twisting it into whispers of his name. He moved back to the other breast, never stopping the finger playing with her hot, wet, hidden canal. As she writhed in time to the sucking and stroking, he moved his thumb and brushed it over her clitoris. Her body bucked off the mattress. This time his name was a passionate scream.

Her mind was still foggy and she was gasping for air when she realized Cain had settled his body between her legs. Something had happened to the rest of his clothing. Cooler naked flesh rubbed against her flushed body. She opened her legs wider and tilted her hips so he had better access. His entire length slipped firmly inside her. She moaned at the delicious pressure. Her entire body was still throbbing from the climax she had experience. He could feel the heat radiating off the skin that surrounded his organ.

He knew she was back with him when she shifted her hips slightly. He began to move in and out of his tight prison. Her legs came up around his body, encouraging him to drive into her even deeper. Putting one hand under her buttocks so he could adjust the angle slightly, he obliged. She followed his rhythm. She moved her head so her lips could reach his mouth again. Their tongues played against each other and then hers retreated into her mouth. When his followed she sucked his tongue deeper. He pounded harder into her, increasing the tempo. She threw her head back and gasped for air.

"Come with me, Darlin'," he whispered. "Now!"

One more stroke, a subtle twist of his hips and she was gone. As everything dissolved around her in a haze she felt him explode deep inside her. Then he was quiet, lying on top of her. They tried to fill their lungs again, their fingertips tenderly playing over whatever skin they could touch without moving their heavy limbs. After a time, he shifted so his weight was off of her. She whined softly as he pulled out of her. He pulled her against him and enclosed her in his arms.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked tenderly.

"Just using muscles I haven't needed for a long time," she assured him.

He chuckled softly into her hair.

The light of the fireplace lit her eyes and he could see confusion. He stroked the hair away from her face with one hand and held her tenderly with his other arm.

"What's wrong, DG?" he asked, concern evident in his tone.

She looked at him with a puzzled expression. "I don't understand," she finally whispered in a bewildered voice.

"Understand what, Darlin'?"

"It never felt like that before," she confessed as she lowered her eyes away from his face.

His chin and forefinger lovingly pushed her face back towards his.

"Was it good?"

"It was wonderful," she assured him. "But that's what I mean. I've never felt like this."

"Loved and cared for and satisfied?"

She nodded.

He grinned and kissed her again. "And that, my beautiful princess, is the difference between having sex and making love."

She snuggled against him as he pulled the blankets over their quickly cooling bodies.

*************

DG was surprised that the light of the first sun was filling her bedroom when she opened her eyes. Then she felt the relaxed throbbing of her body, remembered the times they had reached for each other to make love during the night and she smiled. She rolled toward the source of heat lying beside her.

Cain's face was completely relaxed. He had pushed the blanket off his upper body. She watched him as the sun highlighted the tops of the golden curls on his chest and seemed to gild the curves of his muscles. Hesitantly she reached out to let her fingers roam over his exposed body. She had just touched him when his right hand snapped up to crush her wrist.

"Wyatt." She spoke his name softly without any emotion, instincts telling her not to make any fast moves.

His whole body had gone tense with that single movement. Hearing his name, he relaxed instantly. The pressure on her wrist lessened and his thumb drew a small circle over her pulse.

"Sorry," he muttered. "Too many years alone." He looked at her with a single open eye. "What'd you want?"

She gave him a wicked grin. "To play with you."

One of his eyebrows shot up. Intrigued, he released his hold on her wrist. With his eyelids almost completely closed, he watched as her hands reached out to touch his body. Slowly her fingertips roamed over his uncovered skin, almost as if she was trying to memorize the planes of his body. She spread her fingers so they could comb through his chest hair. Then her hands danced over his face. Next she started down his body again. When she reached the blanket, she shoved the hindrance aside.

His breathing deepened as her hand moved over his abdomen and thighs. She pushed against the inside of one of his legs and he shifted so his legs were slightly apart. Tenderly her hands began to play with the organ that had given her so much pleasure during the night. She cupped the soft sack that nestled beneath his penis. She massaged it tenderly, her fingers creating a syncopation of movement. She stroked his penis from the base to the tip. It hardened immediately. She glanced at his face, a half smile on her face. She lowered her mouth over the upright shaft.

"DG!" he released her name in a strangled moan.

She smiled and hummed, her mouth still around his shaft. When he saw her eyes dance with amusement, he almost lost it. Instead, he took hold of her arms and shifted her so she was sitting over him. His hand on her hips, he pushed her onto the rigid appendage. She hissed at the friction, releasing a gentle moan. Realizing she was drier than he anticipated, he stopped immediately. She leaned forward and kissed him.

His hands rubbed her back as their kiss deepened. Straddling his torso, she rubbed herself against his curling hair. She felt herself becoming warmer with excitement. She raised her hips so his tip could slip just inside her warm moist center. Slowly she lowered herself so she could to take him in completely. She rocked back and forth without actually moving him in-and-out. Her clit was brushing the curls at the base of his shaft. His fingers came to join her massage.

Watching him with deep, smoky eyes, deliberately she began to raise herself above him and then slid back onto his rigid shaft. As her breathing became labored, he took hold of her hips. He helped her move fast enough to reach a pace that would produce the satisfaction she sought. Just before she came, he flipped them over so he was on top. He pounded into her with several short, hard thrusts before she could feel his release. She bucked hard against him again so her engorged nerve bud was stimulated enough for her to follow him.

A few short moments later, he chuckled into her hair. "We are in so much trouble."

"Why?" she wondered out loud.

"Well, I'm suppose to meet with the new members of the Protection Details in about 15 minutes. You're suppose to be in your mother's office in about 30 minutes. And I really don't see how either one of us is going to make it."

He kissed her deeply. Then he quickly released her and moved away from her.

She made a soft moan of protest.

"We have to get going," he told her.

He grabbed his shorts and pulled them on as he rose from the bed. He began putting on his uniform as she wrapped her robe around her and hurried into the bathroom. She pushed the door shut but it didn't close completely.

Cain kept looking at the door as he dressed.

"DG? Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, just trying to get ready," came the stilted answer.

He walked over to the door. "Can I come in?"

"A little privacy, please."

"A kiss before I go?" His tone was worried.

She stuck her head around the door, gave him a quick kiss on the lips and then shut the door firmly in his face.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

**Title:** After His World Stopped  
**Characters/Pairings:** DG/Cain, rest of the cast, O/Cs  
**Rating:** NC-17  
**Warnings/Spoilers:** Adult content. Smut  
**Summary:** Cain and DG come to terms with their new lives after the eclipse. **A/N: **Thanks for the reviews I have received. This was my first time posting in . I didn't realize that the length of chapters would be a problem so I am reposting using more bite-size pieces. Nothing new except the format and this note.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own anything, anyone or anyplace.

**Chapter 9**

"Are you okay?" Jeb asked. "Didn't things go well last night?"

Cain shook his head. "Everything was perfect last night. I'm just tired this morning," he assured his son.

Jeb gave his father a smirk. "They went that well?"

"She is going to be my wife. You will not be disrespectful." But his tone was light as he reprimanded his son.

"I was completely disrespecting you, not DG," the younger man laughed as he headed off to complete his morning duties.

But Cain had a nagging thought in the back of his mind all day as he went about his duties. He was unsettled with how he and DG had parted in the morning. He watched for her all day. Usually they ran across each other several times during the course of their work. But it was getting late in the afternoon and he still had not seen a sign of her. He had even stopped by the archives but she hadn't been there.

DG leaned against the door, not daring to breathe until she was sure Cain was past. She had almost not heard his voice coming in time to duck into the room before he saw her. She squeezed her eyes closed. She felt a tear slid out of the corner of one eye. She brushed it off her cheek with a rough swipe of her hand.

Her mind played back to the minute Cain decided they had to get up that morning. And then she remembered the meeting she had with her mother. Again she felt her chest fill with panic. Her breathing became short and labored. She held onto the back of a chair with one hand while the other pushed into her side as she tried to breathe. That was how Glitch found her.

"DG? Are you okay?"

"Can't breathe!" she gasped.

He put an arm around her waist and dragged her over to one of the windows. He leaned her head out the opening.

"You're okay," he assured her. "Just slow down. Take a deep breath.' He was rubbing her back reassuringly. "Now do it again."

He could feel her relax as she began to breathe easier.

"I'll go get Cain."

"No!"

Glitch turned to look at DG. "Have you two had a fight?"

"No."

"Has he done something to hurt you?"

"Not yet."

Glitch cocked his head. "That was a telling answer."

She glared at him. "It's none of your business. Don't breathe a word of any of this to anyone or I'll have mother send you out to inventory the Munchkins' feathers," she threatened before she stormed out of the room.

*************

Cain entered DG's suite after final meal. He was surprised to see Carolynne waiting for him in the sitting room.

"Why are you here so late?" he asked.

"Colonel Cain," Carolynne greeted him, clearly upset. "Her Royal Highness has retired for the night."

"Okay, thanks," he said as he head toward the bedroom door.

Carolynne put herself between Cain and the door. "I've been instructed to tell you that you are not to be allowed in under any circumstances."

"What?"

He reached around her to open the door. The door was locked. His eyes snapped back to look at the lady-in-waiting.

"Give me the key," he said firmly.

Carolynne shook her head. "I don't have it."

He pointed a finger at her. "Stay here until I get back."

Cain left the suite only to return a few minutes later.

"Carolynne," he told her as he returned, "DG won't need you any more tonight."

"I think that's up to her to decide how much she needs me."

"Well, tonight I'm making the decision."

"I'm not sure you have that right. What did you do to that poor girl last night?" Her tone changed from formal lady-in-waiting to worried friend.

"I asked her to marry me. What did you think I was doing in that get-up?"

"Did she say no? She's been upset all day," Carolynne stated.

Cain looked worried. "Things were a little … abrupt this morning."

"And then this afternoon?"

"I haven't seen her since this morning. What happened this afternoon?"

Carolynne studied him for a long moment. "You really don't know what might have happened to her this afternoon?" Her tone was suddenly low and serious.

"No," he answered equally as grave. "Did someone hurt her? Do you know?"

"I honestly thought it was just nerves – her being so young and all – that maybe you two had a tiff. But if you haven't seen her all day …"

"Did she say anything?"

Carolynne shook her head. "She came in a little while ago. She was deadly pale … terribly upset. She said she didn't want to see anyone. I asked if I should order dinner for both of you. She said she especially didn't want to see you before she locked herself in the bedroom." She glanced at the locked door. She turned back to Cain. "But if it isn't a lovers' quarrel then why is she so upset with you?"

"Carolynne, please … go. If something has spooked her, I need to work this out with her before it goes too far."

Carolynne nodded. "Yes, you do." She shook her head, "That poor girl won't be able to do everything they're planning for her if she doesn't have you to support her." She patted his arm. "I'll bring first meal in the morning. Send someone for me if you need me before that."

Cain watched her leave the suite. He walked over to the bedroom door. He took another few minutes to center himself before he used the master key he had retrieved from Jeb's office.

DG stood looking out the window, her fists clinched at her side. Upon hearing the door open, her back stiffened.

"DG?"

She stood with her back to Cain, not making a sound.

"If I hurt you or disappointed you, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you this morning."

She turned to face him. Her eyes were fixed, her mouth was a tight line. She stared at him for a long time before she opened her mouth. When she spoke her voice was brittle with anger.

"Do you remember when we talked about the guys I've been with?"

"Yes."

"You never asked what happened to them."

"I thought it was your private business and that you would tell me if you wanted me to know."

Her eyes hardened. "I thought we didn't lie to each other."

He sighed and lowered his eyes. After a moment he forced himself to look at her. He moved to stand in front of her but did not touch her.

"I didn't want to hear about you with other men," he confessed.

"After I let them take me to bed, they just … they both …"

She clinched her teeth so hard the muscles in her cheeks flexed. A solitary tear ran down her cheek.

"They left you?" he asked gently.

She nodded, a sobbing sound escaping but no additional tears slid down her face.

"I'm not leaving you, DG," he stated firmly.

She eyes flashed with anger. "Yes, you are!" she snapped.

"What makes you think that?" he asked gently. He reached out a hand. She jerked away from his touch.

"This morning," she whispered.

He sighed. "I know. It was abrupt. But I was so relaxed I let us sleep too long."

"And as soon as you left my bed, you made arrangements to leave the city." She turned back to the window.

"DG, look at me." She made no move. "Look at me," he ordered more firmly.

Slowly she turned back to face him, her face hard.

"I swear to you, I am not leaving," he insisted.

She glared at him. "Don't lie to me! You are the only person in my whole life who has never lied to me! I won't be able to stand it if you lie to me, too," she cried.

He pulled her toward him. She lashed out, pushing his arms away. She took a step back so she was pressed against the window casement. He took another step forward until he was only inches away from her. He took hold of her upper arms.

"What makes you think that I'm going to leave?" His question was spoken softly but with a firmness that demanded an answer.

"The Queen told me."

He cocked his head, completely puzzled by her answer.

"Your mother?" He was sure he had heard wrong.

She nodded.

"You must have misunderstood. Your mother asked me to go on a mission to the north. She wanted me to leave immediately – tomorrow in fact. And I would have been gone for several weeks. I wouldn't even be here for the engagement announcement. I told her I wouldn't leave you right now. She seemed upset, but told me she understood."

She looked at him, uncertainty coming into her eyes. "She said … she told me … that you … _asked_ to lead the expedition. She told me that I should tell you that I understood that you needed to leave … and that I agreed it would be for the best." Her voice was soft and confused.

His hands spasmed as they held her. She was amazed to see the angry fire in his icy blue eyes. He took a deep breath.

"I know you need to rebuild your relationship with Lavender and Ahamo. And I know we need to show solid support for Lavender in order to bring stability to the government. But by Glenda's Wand I have had it with their callousness toward you."

"Then you … don't … want to leave?" She tried to hide the desperation and fear in her question.

His jaw was granite as he spoke through clinched teeth, "I would never do something like that without discussing it with you first."

"What's going on?" She suddenly sounded unsure of herself. "After telling us they wanted us to announce we were getting married, why would she try to separate us so soon?"

"Evidently your parents don't want us to become too dependent on each other. They must've decided being able to announce I'll be your Consort when you become Queen is one thing. But me being around to stand up for you and advice you now is something else all together."

He saw the confusion in her eyes as she tried to understand the political exploitation being attempted.

He sighed, "I wish you'd come to me when you thought I was leaving."

Her heart plummeted as she heard the pain and disappointment in his voice.

"I'm not surprised this happened," he went on, "since you told me about your past. I understand that you were frightened and angry. But, DG … we can't let your parents play us against each other. If they succeed in doing that, they'll use us to manipulate each other to get whatever they want from either one of us."

She nodded looking down. She ran her hand across his chest. "I don't know how to ask you to forgive me."

"Forgive you?"

She raised tear filled eyes to gaze at him. "I let my fears do something terrible … just like when I was little … just like the cave. I could've destroyed everything again."

"But you didn't. You listened … you believed … in me … in our love." He hesitated. "You do believe that I don't want to leave … that I would never leave without tell you?"

She nodded. "Yes," she answered in a small voice. "But I feel so bad that I didn't trust you. How could I've believed her without even talking to you first?" She started to move away from him. "What was I thinking?"

He pulled her gently into his arms. His hand began to stroke her back.

"Who in your life has ever done anything to teach you trust? You were shoved away from your home and both of your parents so they could play their political games. You were lied to by robots who told you cryptic stories that hinted at your real life. You were used by men on the Otherside. You were dumped back in the O.Z. without any preparation or explanation. Your family coerced you into risking your life trying to defeat the witch who was possessing your sister."

"You're angry?"

His arms tightened around her. "Hell, yes, I'm angry. You extend love and respect to everyone you meet. And all the time, you have to expect them to hurt you in the end because that's what you've been taught will happen. In spite of that, you still reach out. You're the most amazing person I've ever known."

She tilted her face toward him. He captured her lips with his for a soothing, loving kiss. He led her over to the bed so they could lie down. She shivered and snuggled tighter against him. He kissed her forehead.

"Go to sleep," he told her. "I'll be right here to catch you if you fall. If you'll let me, I'll make sure you are never alone, never betrayed again."

*************

"How dare you!" Lavender demanded. "You forget yourself."

Cain glared at her. "I forget myself? I'm not the one that's been using DG like a marker on a game board for the last 15 annuals. And it stops today. Neither one of us is going to be a political piece that you can manipulate."

"You are not her husband yet," Ahamo stated, a veiled threat in his tone.

"She was terrified I was deserting her – just like everyone else in her life has. Do you really think you'll get what you want out of her if you actually force us apart? She knows I won't leave her willingly."

"What is it you want?" Lavender asked. "What position in the government will keep you happy?"

Cain shook his head in disbelief. "You really don't get it. There's nothing I'd like more than to take DG to the most remote spot in the O.Z. and live there with her for the rest of our lives – away from the Court – away from you. And I truly believe she'd be very happy to do that."

"She is too valuable for you to even consider such a thing!" Lavender exclaimed.

Cain nodded. "She's staying here because she believes it's her responsibility to support you. She knows how important her presence is to the people. The only thing I want is to make sure that the changes that are coming in her life are as easy as possible for her … and to take any of the burdens off her shoulders that she's willing to allow me to handle. I want to help her do what she thinks is her duty."

The Queen and Consort relaxed. "What do you want?" the Queen asked again in a much more relaxed tone.

"You two are done manipulating her. From now on, when you need her help or input on something, you discuss it with her and let us have a chance to talk it over. No more plots or guilt trips or pressuring her into something like the projection with the viewer or _anything_ that causes her pain. She'll bend over backwards to help you, if I know her at all. But I won't stand by and watch her tricked into doing something she doesn't feel comfortable doing. And I won't have her hurt again."

Lavender and Ahamo looked at each other. Slowly Lavender turned Cain. "As long as you do not try to convince her to act against the Realms' best interest, I see no reason why we can't accommodate your request. Anything else?"

"I'm taking DG away for a few days. It's the only thing she's asked for – a break before the engagement is announced."

"What about the plans?" Lavender asked. "I need her here to help plan the engagement ball and the wedding."

"Are you really going to listen to anything either one of us want? We all know this is going to be a big, flashy circus that DG and I are both going to hate. I take her away. You can make whatever plans you want. I just want her to be rested before it all starts."

"Where are you going?" Ahamo asked.

"We'll pay a visit to Raw's people and then head to Finaqua. We'll be back in about seven days. You can announce the engagement in two weeks. Oh, and last night DG told me she wanted to get married immediately."

"That is impossible," Lavender stated flatly.

"I told her that you'd insist on making the wedding a political statement."

Lavender looked angrily at him.

"I said I'd talk to you about how quickly a wedding like you want her to have could be arranged."

The tight line of her mouth relaxed and she nodded her approval. "How soon will you leave?"

"Tomorrow. Jeb will stay here. We'll take a dozen guards with us … nine of the Palace Guards and three Tin Men."

Ahamo nodded, "That sounds appropriate. How will you travel?"

"Horseback. DG likes to ride and we can go along some beautiful trails if we leave the vehicles behind." He stood up. "If there is nothing else?"

When there was no answer, he left the room.

*************

Cain returned to DG's suite as Carolynne was arriving with a tray of food. The couple ate quietly. Finally, DG put her spoon down, ate a last bite of toast and took the coffee cup off the tray.

"So now what?" she asked. "What new palace intrigues do I need to worry about today?"

"Nothing. You are to do nothing but relax. Tomorrow, you and I are going to get on our horses, ride out of the city and take a little trip."

"Really?" Her eyes were bright with excitement. "They're just going to drop it?"

She watched the expression on his face change. As he went to look out a window, she noticed that he was walking stiffer.

"Cain?"

There was no reply.

"Wyatt, please talk to me."

He walked over and sat on the edge of the couch. He held both of her hands between his.

"I probably overstepped my bounds. I'm afraid I threatened them."

"Get out of here!" she exclaimed.

He nodded solemnly standing up. She grabbed his hands.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"You told me to leave," he answered.

She tugged on his hands. "Sit down. I swear I'm going to write an Othersider dictionary for you. That just meant I was surprised by what you said. What'd you do? Did you pull your gun on Ahamo?"

He chuckled. "No. I told them that they were done using you as a political game piece. From now on you would not be dealing with them alone."

Her mouth dropped opened. "I'm sorry I missed that. What'd they do?"

"Your mother offered me a post in the government."

"You didn't take it, did you?" she asked in mock horror.

"I told them I couldn't 'cause I was leaving."

"You're what?" Her voice cracked.

He smiled. "I told them I was talking you on a trip, remember?"

"Oh … yeah. And they said I could go?"

"I didn't exactly phrase it as a question."

She threw her arms tightly around his neck. "I love you so much!" She sat back. "Where are we going?"

"I thought it could be a surprise. Do you trust me?"

She laughed. "I am _so_ not falling into that trap."

*************

DG sat by the small lake, ignoring the activity going on in the clearing behind her. She heard a footstep and looked up to smile at Cain. It was their third night on the road. Their guards knew their assigned duties so camp was quickly established. He squatted down beside her.

"Are you happy?" he asked.

She smiled at him. "Only one thing would make me happier," she giggled.

"What?"

"If the guards were far enough away from our tent that you could make me scream your name again," she said answered softly.

His roar of laughter caused several guards to glance in their direction. They exchanged amused looks before returning to their tasks. They had quickly become totally devote to their beautiful princess. Her kindness and friendliness were not something they were use to in the royalty of the O.Z. They were even more surprised when they were encouraged to return her informality.

DG blushed as she remembered their last morning in the Palace. It was the first time she and Cain had made love since the night he asked her to marry him. It had caused them to delay their scheduled departure two hours. She still tingled as she remembered the exquisite things Cain had done to her body.

Holding hands, DG and Cain walked back into the center of the camp. Their tent was in the center. The guards' tents circled theirs at a discrete distance.

Everyone chatted amiably as they fixed final meal and ate. As the evening turned dark, wood was added to the fire. As it got later, DG and Cain were talking softly to themselves, sharing food from their plates and trading light banter. Cain noticed the glances the guards were giving him and DG. He said something to her. She whispered her response. He looked around at the other men then nodded.

"Gentlemen," he raised his voice to get everyone's attention, rising to his feet.

All the Guards and Tin Men stopped what they were doing so they could move closer to the couple.

"Phillips," he called to one of the Tin Men who was traveling with them and who happened to be standing close to one of the baggage animals. "If you look in my blue saddlebag I believe you will find some smooth sippin' whiskey wrapped in a blanket."

There were hoots and yells as the Tin Man pulled the bundle from Cain's bag. He took the package to Cain.

Cain unwrapped two of the bottles, opened them, pour a shot into his cup and then handed each bottle to a man to start around the camp. He set the remaining bottles on the ground in front of him then stood up.

"You have probably been wondering what we're doing, roaming around the countryside of the O.Z.," Cain started. "Obviously, with this small of a group we're not on a military expedition. And from the informality, I assume you've guessed this isn't a diplomatic mission." Cain smiled at DG and then looked back at the officers. "This is our last fling to do a little sightseeing before the Queen announces our engagement." He turned to DG and kissed the fingertips of the hand he was holding.

There were shouts and whistles and calls of congratulations.

Cain raised his cup. "Gentlemen, a toast to my beautiful fiancée."

There was a roar as the men yelled, "To the Princess!"

DG blushed. "Thank you," she called to them.

"And now, gentlemen," Cain set down his cup, "I wish you a goodnight."

Turning to DG, he picked her up and threw her fireman-style over his shoulder. Everyone whooped as DG screamed at the unexpected inversion. Cain turned back to face the men.

"Sorry, but whoever drew guard duty tonight is limited to two drinks. Everyone else had better be ready to ride at first light, no excuses."

There were catcalls as Cain deposited DG in their tent. He saluted the guards as he closed the flap. Things were just beginning to settle down in camp when DG let out a sparkling peal of laughter.

"To the Princess," one man called.

Everyone yelled in reply, "To the Princess!"

*************

DG laughed again as she heard the men yell their final toast. She threw her arms around Cain's neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her feet off the ground as he hugged her to his chest. Tenderly he kissed her mouth.

"Are you happy now?" he asked. "No one will be shocked if they hear you screaming my name all night long now."

She smacked his chest. "There will be no name screaming tonight."

She smiled as he looked a little crestfallen.

"But I suppose I could stuff a pillow in my mouth," she added mischievously.

In moments they had removed their clothes. They stretched out on the sleeping bag they had been sharing, their hands tracing the area of the bodies they were quickly learning as well as they knew their own. He smothered her mouth with his as he shoved firmly between her legs with very little foreplay.

The friction of his assault on the tightness of her opening made her gasp into his mouth. One of his hands played with her breast while his other hand slipped under her buttock, rocking her slightly. He moved slowly until he felt her silky slit slowly become slippery with her juices. She put her feet flat and shoved against him as she was ready for increased activity. He was the one that had to stifle a cry as he felt her thrust, retreat and thrust again.

He suddenly knew that he was the one that was going to lose control first tonight. He lowered her bottom so he could move his hand to the tender area that was snug between their bodies. Her head thrashed violently from side to side and then she buried her mouth in the side of his neck. She moaned deep in her throat, barely able to stop her cries.

With one more deep thrust, Cain stiffened. He collapsed on top of her, using his elbows to keep the majority of his weight off of her. He had shoved his face into her hair to help deaden the groan of his climax.

Their breathing became more regular. Suddenly DG began to giggle. Cain chuckled, too.

"That was so teenage!" she managed to get out. "I can not believe you would do something like that."

"I believe I had some help," he smirked.

A few minutes later, they settled down for the night.

It was in the predawn that the sounds of the camp woke them. DG spread her fingers through the hair on his chest, playing with the chain that held his bonding ring. Her other hand reached around to stroke his ass. He hissed as he grabbed the wrist of the hand that was behind him. He pulled it around, kissing it before moving away from her.

"Do not start anything," he warned, humor heavy in his voice.

She threw the blanket off, lying on her back, her legs spread, one knee raised, her other leg stretched out. Cain took a sharp breath as watched the flash of her bonding ring rising and falling on its chain as it lay between her breasts. His eyes roamed up to look at her smoky gaze.

"You are going to be the death of me," he breathed.

He dropped beside her, gathered her tightly in his arms to kiss her passionately.

"Now, get dressed. If we can go far enough today, we'll reach Raw's village tonight."

DG was laughing at Cain as they left the tent a few minutes later. One of the men handed plates to them as they came over to the fire.

"We'll be ready to leave in a few minutes, sir."

"Can you get a cup of coffee for the Princess before you break camp? The day will be much nicer if we make sure she gets her coffee."

The man tried to stifle his laughter.

"You will pay for that," she shook a finger at Cain who only chuckled.

*************

DG stretched. She closed her eyes tighter against the sunlight that spilled across her bed. "Uggh! Wrong bedroom," she moaned. "I want to move to the other side of the palace."

Cain wrapped an arm around her waist pulling her snuggly back against his chest as he rolled onto his side. His hand moved lower. Slowly his palm stroked between her legs. She moaned softly and rotated against his strong hand. He moved his hand to give her a playful slap on her hip.

"Now that I have your full attention, it's time to get up."

"You are twisted," she whined when he pulled away from her. She shivered as the cool air replaced the heat of Cain's body.

"I thought you'd be up before first light," he said getting dressed. "You were so excited about coming to Finaqua."

She stretched again. She remembered his reaction several days earlier in their tent. Through partially closed eyes, she watched his reaction to how she twisted her body. She smiled when he stopped buttoning his shirt to survey her sensual gyrations.

"You are wicked," he muttered. He put a knee on the bed beside her, drew her into his arms and kissed her deeply.

"And you love me," she whispered.

"I do indeed," he replied as he dropped her back to the mattress so he could continue dressing.

She watched him tuck his shirttail into the waist of his pants and finished fastening them. Rolling over onto her stomach in his direction, she reached out to run her hand possessively over his bottom.

"I do love your ass in those pants," she purred.

He looked over her shoulder and chuckled. "Will you get up and get dressed?"

She looked up at him with smoldering eyes. "After what you did to me last night, I don't know how you expect any of my parts to function at all today."

He leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "Okay, I guess I can start sleeping in my own room so I don't disturb your rest."

He laughed as she threw a pillow at him as he left the bedroom.

Within a few minutes she was dressed. They decided to have first meal in the dining hall. Even though the majority of the men had eaten, there were still a few lingering over the first meal they had eaten in a formal setting in a few days. They all beamed as DG greeted each one of them by name.

DG broke into a grin when she saw Raw sitting at a table. She threw her arms around the viewer's neck from behind as he sat eating.

"I am so glad you decided to come with us!" she exclaimed.

Raw chuckled. "DG said that at village. DG said that when got here last night. Raw can feel DG happy Raw with her."

Cain laughed as he held the chair next to Raw so DG could sit. She plopped into the chair, took hold of Raw's hand and gave it a squeeze. She released his hand immediately, knowing that the viewer would be flooded with her emotions if she continued the contact. Raw smiled at DG and Cain.

"Glad you found what you both seek." Raw smiled. "You good together. Is good for O.Z."

Cain gave him a nod of the head in acknowledgement.

After eating, the trio walked out of the palace to the lakeside gazebo. DG sat in the swing, moving slowly. Cain leaned against a support column behind DG, watching her with a tender smile on his face. Raw sat on a step in front of her, calmly watching the lake.

"Peace feels good," he commented.

"Was there trouble in your village?" Cain asked.

"Regular things. Meant after village."

Cain straightened up. "Have you sensed trouble on the trip? Why didn't you say something?"

Raw turned so he could lean against the railing and see Cain who had moved closer to DG.

"Raw not say problem. Just big emotions when see people. Everyone happy DG visit. Guess about DG and Tin Man. Just lot of emotions."

Relaxing, Cain reached out for the ropes of DG's swing. He moved the swing back and forth as she raised her feet off the floor holding her legs straight out in front of her. She looked back at Cain.

"How long can we stay here?" she asked.

He smiled down at her. "Two days. It was two days before we got here. It is two days today. It will be two days when we leave. I don't want to have to notify your parents that we're going to be gone any longer than I told we'd be."

She sighed turning to face the lake again. He pulled the rope so the swing was close to him. He leaned down, kissed her neck where it slopped to her shoulder and then let her swing again.

"But we can come back here for our honeymoon. I'm making all the arrangements while we're here," he told her.

She turned to Raw. "And you'll come with us?"

Raw chuckled. "Tin Man jealous."

DG giggled as she turned to watch Cain tug his hat lower so they could not see him blush.

"It's going to take me a little while to get use to the idea of taking a honeymoon with 50 other people," he grumbled.

DG jumped out of the swing and hurried to Cain's side. His arm went around her shoulders to pull her firmly against him as they walked over to Raw.

"I promise I won't notice anyone but you."

He tenderly kissed her.

"Raw go now."

"You don't have to leave," Cain assured him.

"Need time alone. Won't have long alone."

DG patted Raw's arm as he walked past them. She and Cain went down the stairs. Hand-in-hand they walked to the edge of the lake.

"Can we swim in this?" she asked. "I don't remember if we did as children."

"I suppose you can," he said.

She kicked off her shoes, glad she'd picked a skirt and blouse to wear this morning so her legs were bare. She walked into the water and then squealed as she jumped back.

"It's freezing!" she gasped, the cold had literally knocked the breath out of her lungs.

He nodded. "Coldest unfrozen lake in the O.Z."

He laughed as she struck his upper arm with her balled fist.

"Careful, Kiddo, you'll leave a bruise," he complained lightly.

She walked back toward the lawn.

"What makes you think you'll be taking off your shirt around me, for me to see it? Letting me walk into that lake without a warning!"

With a laugh, he gently tackled her and rolled her onto the grass until she was pinned beneath him. One hand came up to caress her cheek.

He pulled something out of his pocket. With a soft smile he handed the small package to DG. Her eyes looked a question.

"Open it," he instructed.

She broke into a brilliant smile as she saw the earrings she had admired at the street market where she had found Arianna.

"You've had these since the street market?" she asked. "Why haven't you given them to me before now?"

She leaned forward to give him a lingering kiss then straightened. She put the earrings on.

"Well?" she asked again.

His eyes twinkled. "I was just waiting until I thought you deserved them."

"And what did I do to deserve them?"

He sobered as he stared into her eyes.

"You were amazing."

"Were?" she questioned, her eyes shining with humor.

He smiled. "Are," he admitted. "But I was thinking about what Raw said about his village and the people we've come across on our trip. You are a natural born queen. The O.Z. is going to be so lucky to have you on the throne."

"Not for many years if I have anything to say about it. The last thing I want is to take on that load of trouble a day before I have to."

She would look back on that sentence the next day and wonder if her magic had been trying to warn her.

For the rest of her life, she would wish she could have made her world stop on that perfect day.

The End?


End file.
